Life to the Max Podcast
Welcome to 'Life to the Max Podcast,' where resilience meets inspiration!
Join us on a transformative journey through the life stories of remarkable individuals, including Quadriplegic Army Veteran Maximilian Gross. In this empowering podcast, we dive into tales of triumph, courage, and the human spirit's unwavering ability to overcome obstacles.
Our show is a celebration of diverse narratives, from awe-inspiring achievements to the darkest of traumas. 'Life to the Max' is a testament to the power of living authentically, no matter the circumstances. We believe that everyone has a unique story worth sharing, and we invite individuals from all walks of life to join us.
Discover the profound meaning of living 'Life to the Max'—a concept that resonates differently with each storyteller. It's a journey of perspective, resilience, and finding joy amidst life's challenges. Tune in to be inspired, motivated, and reminded that there's strength in every story.
Ready to redefine what it means to live life to the fullest? Share your story with us and become a part of this uplifting community. Because, at 'Life to the Max,' every story matters.
SHARE YOUR STORY!
Life to the Max Podcast
Kayla Godwin: The Revitalized Life of Corey Lee's Personal Assistant
From the moment of catastrophe to a life of global adventure, Kayla Godwin story captivates with raw honesty and unexpected turns. After a devastating car accident left her in a month-long coma and permanently changed her physical abilities, Kayla found herself at rock bottom—one-handed, using her non-dominant hand, and questioning whether life was worth living.
Her candid revelation about contemplating suicide creates an immediate connection with listeners who've faced similar dark moments. But what makes this conversation truly remarkable is the serendipitous twist that changed everything: meeting Corey Lee, a well-known wheelchair athlete who needed a personal assistant. This chance encounter launched Kayla from never having set foot on an airplane to exploring some of the world's most extraordinary places—from the chaotic beauty of India to the pristine isolation of Antarctica.
The conversation at the Abilities Expo in Chicago reveals fascinating details about her medical journey, including innovative surgeries that turned her arm into a mechanical "pulley system" allowing limited but crucial functionality. Despite her challenges, Kayla learned to build guitars discovered new perspectives on humanity through her global travels. Her description of India challenges Western stereotypes, highlighting how people with so little material wealth demonstrate extraordinary generosity and kindness.
This speedcast episode delivers a powerful message about resilience, second chances, and finding purpose in unexpected places. Whether you're facing your own challenges or simply seeking inspiration, Kayla's journey reminds us that even our darkest moments can lead to unimagined opportunities.
What's up, guys? As you can see, we're not in the studio at home. We're actually at the Abilities Expo in Chicago, and this podcast is going to be a little different. It's going to be like a speedcast. The sound is not going to be as great because of how wide open this space is, but please enjoy this Life to the Max speedcast.
Speaker 1:What is up everybody? It is Life to the Max and we are at the Abilities Expo in Shawburg, illinois. It is June 21st 2025. And today I have Kayla Garman, and she is a personal assistant to Corey Lee, a very, very well-known person and a very humble person, and it's an honor to meet you, kayla.
Speaker 2:It's nice to meet you too.
Speaker 1:I did hear that you have health health problems as well, like a disability is that correct?
Speaker 2:yeah, I have a brachial plexus injury. Okay, um, I was killed. I was almost killed in a car accident about 10 years ago now. Okay, uh drunk teenager really, really is it. How long has it years been about? Nine years about nine years. Yeah, october will be 10 years for me. So, um, I was in a communal life support for about a month and everything. And, yeah, I have a brachial plexus injury, so I became one-handed and left-handed all at the same time at 20 years old are you uh 22?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was at 20 as well, really, yes, awesome. Well, it's not awesome but I mean it's cool to have that Like I'm terrified for my 10 year anniversary.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Um, I'm not going to lie on the. For me, the first one was not that bad, the second one was not that bad.
Speaker 1:The second one was pretty bad. The second one was bad for me too.
Speaker 2:Ten years I haven't really thought about it I'm I kind of pushed things to the back of my mind. So cause I mean, I you know, you just have to deal with it. Like there's not really a lot of people that understand what it kind of is like to go through something where you were walking and now you're not, so can you explain this near death experience, what happened? Whenever I woke up, I was like I said. I was in a coma, in a life support, for about a month when I woke up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, jesus and I remember them taking the trach out of my throat. That's the first memory I have after about a month and I'll never forget that feeling, um, because I'd pulled my feeding tube out. So they just was like, well, we're gonna see if she can. What? Yeah, she pulls my feeding tube out. Um, they were like it was a medically induced coma. So they hadn't given me my medicine yet and I was starting to wake up, pulled my feeding tube out so the doctor was like, hey, let's see if she can breathe on her own were you driving?
Speaker 2:no, I was a passenger.
Speaker 1:So was I.
Speaker 2:And that was kind of the worst part for me is I was a passenger with my stepdad, who I was taking care of at the time. He had a stroke and the worst part for me, honestly, was outside of just getting better, was the legal side of it, because where I live they don't really care about people who look different. I live in a very racist part of georgia, um, so it's, it was a battle. I knew it was going to be a battle, um, because I grew up with racism all around me, so I knew it was going to be a battle. I didn't know I was going to lose the battle but, um, like, the construction company never had to pay anything, like it was just, it was what it was. They got off scotch free never owed a dime.
Speaker 2:So that was the worst part the betrayal of it. Um, and then obviously, learning life one-handed and left-handed was hard.
Speaker 1:Can you explain that a little more?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so basically with my brachial plexus injury, there's four nerves put out of my spinal cord and my hand it honestly kind of looks like a quad hand is what a lot of people say. So I don't have a lot of movement. People say so I don't have a lot of movement. I have about 30 pounds of grip strength now but, um, I've had a couple of surgeries where they've basically rerouted everything in my arm to work as a pulley system wow so when my wrist goes down, my fingers open.
Speaker 2:When it goes back, it closes, just to give me a little bit of functionality and I do good. I mean, I taught myself how to redo everything that I've ever done, plus. Um, I built guitars for years. Um, so I learned I don't know, I can't play it, but I can build hard body hard body. Electric and bass guitars I can build, so yeah, you gotta build me one oh, we could definitely.
Speaker 2:We can definitely build you one for sure. Uh, I loved it. I did it for about 10 years, and so now I just started traveling more full-time with Corey yeah, um, can we uh get into that a little bit?
Speaker 1:so how did you meet Corey?
Speaker 2:um, well, one of my best friends when I was in the rec knew Corey and Corey was looking for a new caregiver. So we met and we just kind of hit it off and one day he asked me to go to Amsterdam, in India. I'd never been on an airplane, I'd never even been to an airport.
Speaker 1:So I was in.
Speaker 2:India yeah, amsterdam in India, and I was terrified no-transcript. I just ended everything. I didn't want to be alive anymore. So, um well, it was just one of those things yeah, that's that's grim. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I've been in that situation 200%. It's a terrible experience. The person who was driving the car for me was my best friend, and we don't talk to this day. Yeah, and I'm trying to make amends with him, yeah, so, zach, if you're listening, give me a call, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I try to make amends with him but he might have a guilty conscience. I don't know.
Speaker 2:I kind of hijacked no, no, I mean zach, seriously it contacting, because it takes a lot, uh, being the person in the situation, being the person that that was hurt. It takes a lot to get to a point where forgiveness is oh my god is on your heart like it. So, zach, reach out. I mean, it takes a lot to get to that point. I mean, and like you said, you've been there to the point where suicide was an option I almost hired someone to.
Speaker 1:I almost hired someone to kill me. Like, honestly, my friends, like I almost did it and I was, I was like my friends said, I'll go to jail with you.
Speaker 2:That's not that's not a good friend, yeah so let's uh circle back.
Speaker 1:So you, so you're an indian, yeah, yeah it was life-changing.
Speaker 2:Um, I still wasn't sure that I wanted to live, but I knew that there was more to look forward to, um, so, yeah, it kind of turned in. I think the next trip was actually antarctica. I my first cruise. I'd never been on a cruise and it was a month long. So I was like, well, I hope I don't get seasick, but I was.
Speaker 1:Uh, it's a month long cory just said do you want to go to an article?
Speaker 2:yeah, he was like you want to go, like we need. You know his mom gets seasick. He was like it's a month long and it's going through the drake passage, which is the roughest water in the world, and I'm like sure, why not? And dude, that is awesome. Yeah, that is so cool all of my first have been pretty extreme. I will say it's uh, so you go to india there you go to antarctica.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what's been your favorite so far with cory?
Speaker 2:um, my favorite would have to be india. Just because of, just because of the humanity I mean, it's a lot of those people don't have anything but they.
Speaker 2:You don't see people that are hungry over there, because they will give you anything that they have and it's it's unbelievable to see something so vastly different than america culture shock yeah mean they're just so kind, and I think that a lot of us kind of had a perception or I know where I come from, since it is so just backwards racist like you, india, not because I knew anything about Muslim people, just because I had been conditioned that way and didn't really realize it. But that is my favorite country and every Muslim country I've ever visited. I feel safer in that country than I would feel walking around in towns in America.
Speaker 1:Wow, well, for everybody listening, make sure you check out India, because it's not as bad as people say.
Speaker 2:Exactly, it is life-changing.
Speaker 1:Would you say, corey changed your life.
Speaker 2:I would say that in some ways, yeah, just, it was kind of like the perfect storm us meeting and him needing a caregiver and wanting to travel more out you know, outside the States it was kind of a perfect storm.
Speaker 2:And then plus also like seeing his you know, just seeing him overcome a lot of things, like it's incredible because I can still walk and I can't imagine some of the things that he's done not being able to walk, you know. So, and I've definitely almost went to jail a couple times over Corey, because I get pretty protective, that's good and we get in some places that are yeah, it's a.
Speaker 1:He seems like a really really good guy. Yeah, I'm super happy he came into your life. Really good guy, and I'm super happy he came into your life. It seems very like serendipitous. You guys were able to like come together and you're able to help each other. I feel like people come into your life like yeah, for a good reason absolutely my personal assistant. I'm very grateful for her. She does everything under his sun for me and she makes sure my life's great, and I'm pretty sure you make sure Corey's life is great.
Speaker 1:So I'm told I gotta wrap this up, but is there anything you would like to say to the people out there?
Speaker 2:Well, for one, zach, reach out, because it takes a lot of forgiveness for someone who has been on the other end of an accident. It takes a lot. So please reach out, and I mean I think what you're doing is great. If you guys want to follow me, I have a website too. It's called Country to Countries, and you can find me anywhere.
Speaker 1:Yeah at Racist.
Speaker 2:Exactly, there you go yeah yeah, because I got stronger words for it, but we're not going to say it on the podcast if you guys enjoyed this content, please like, comment and subscribe and, as always, take a breath thank you so much, thank you.
Speaker 1:I try to keep it cool. All you lames keep it bogus. I head on a swivel looking out for the locust. Thank you, see you.