Episode 33 - Kijuan Amey: Losing Sight but not Vision

What happens when your entire life changes in a single moment? For Kiwan Amey, that moment came on May 5th, 2017, when a driver pulled out in front of his motorcycle on a North Carolina highway. One month later, he woke from a medically induced coma to discover he had lost his eyesight completely.

Before the accident, Kiwan was living a full life as a US Air Force in-flight refueling specialist, entrepreneur, and student with dreams of becoming a commissioned pilot. With a 3.87 GPA and a thriving web design business, his future seemed boundless. After the accident, he faced the crushing reality of losing his military career, his independence, and the life he had known. In those dark early days, suicidal thoughts plagued him as he struggled to accept his new reality.

What makes Kiwan's story so remarkable isn't just his survival against medical odds, but how he transformed his tragedy into triumph. He coined a personal mantra that became his north star: "I lost my sight, but not my vision." This profound perspective shift opened doors to possibilities most would consider impossible for someone without sight. He mastered adaptive sports including rowing, archery, powerlifting, and even downhill skiing on real snow. His athletic prowess earned him an invitation to the Paralympics Team USA rowing tryouts. He returned to his love of music, playing drums professionally and learning keyboard. As the self-proclaimed "excuse destroyer," Kiwan now works as a motivational speaker, sharing his journey to inspire others to overcome their own limitations.

This episode offers a masterclass in resilience, forgiveness, and redefining purpose after trauma. Kiwan's infectious optimism and determination shine through as he explains how losing his sight ultimately gave him clearer vision for what matters in life. His story will challenge you to reconsider what's truly possible when you focus not on what you've lost, but on what you can still become.

Listen to this powerful conversation, then ask yourself: what excuse is holding you back from living your fullest life?

Connect with Kijuan on Instagram

Connect with Kijuan's website

Purchase Kijuans book Dont Focus on Why Me

Chapters

• 0:00 Introducing the Everyday Warriors Podcast
• 3:26 Kiwan's Life Before the Accident
• 9:35 The Day Everything Changed
• 16:24 Waking Up in Darkness
• 26:09 Coming to Terms with New Reality
• 38:14 Finding New Purpose and Abilities
• 51:19 Music as Healing Therapy
• 1:01:03 Becoming an Excuse Destroyer
• 1:10:33 Gratitude for Being Alive

Transcript

Trudie: 0:01

Welcome to the Everyday Warriors podcast, the perfect space to speak my truth and dive into deep conversations with others. This podcast is about celebrating everyday warriors, the people who face life's challenges head on, breaking through obstacles to build resilience, strength and courage. Join me, your host, trudy Marie, as I sit down with inspiring individuals who have fought their own battles and emerged stronger, sharing raw, real and authentic stories in a safe space, allowing you to explore, question and find your own path to new possibilities. Let us all embrace the warrior within and realise that, while no one is walking in your shoes, others are on this same path, journeying through life together. Please note that the following podcast may contain discussions or topics that could be triggering or distressing for some listeners. I aim to provide informative and supportive content, but understand that certain things may evoke strong emotions or memories. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or in need of support while listening, I encourage you to pause the podcast and take a break. Remember that it is okay to prioritize your well-being and seek assistance from trained professionals. There is no shame in this. In fact, it is the first brave step to healing. If you require immediate support, please consider reaching out to Lifeline on 13, 11, 14 or a crisis intervention service in your area. Thank you for listening and please take care of yourself as you engage with the content of this podcast.

Trudie: 2:01

Love the Everyday Worriers podcast. It would mean the world to me if you were to leave a five-star review to ensure that the Everyday Warriors podcast is heard by more listeners around the world. You can also support the show for as little as $5 with a one-time donation or by becoming a monthly subscriber. Your contribution helps me to continue bringing you inspiring stories of everyday warriors who overcome challenges to find strength, resilience and new possibilities in life. Head to the link to buy me a coffee and fuel the next episode. Every bit counts. Every bit counts.

Trudie: 2:46

If you're looking for an inspiring story of resilience, healing and rediscovering yourself, then my book Everyday Warrior From Frontline to Freedom is for you. It is my memoir of hiking the 1,000 kilometre Bibbulmun Track, a journey that was as much about finding my way back to myself as it was about conquering the trail through the highs and lows and everything in between. This book is taken from my journals and is my raw and honest experience of overcoming trauma and embracing the strength within. Grab your copy now. Just head to the link in the show notes and let's take this journey together. Welcome to another episode of the Everyday Warriors podcast, and I do have a special guest with me today. All the way from North Carolina in the United States, we are literally 12 hours apart from each other, but somehow, with the magic of technology, we are here today. So I would like to welcome Kiwan Kiwan Woodson.

Kijuan: 3:57

Hey how you doing Trudy.

Trudie: 3:58

Trudy, I'm really good. How are you giving it your night time in my morning?

Kijuan: 4:04

Kiwan Woodson yeah, yeah, so tell me about it. Listen, the warrior is definitely coming from you because you wake up bright and early.

Trudie: 4:11

I did have to this morning to do this recording, definitely, so I want to start your story, kiwan. I know you have an incredible story to tell, but take us back around 10 years ago and tell us where you were in your life, what you were up to.

Kijuan: 4:30

Yeah, so about 10 years ago, which would have been 2015, I was just coming off active duty. I finished that commitment over there and now I'm switching over to the reserves. My job was in the US Air Force, where I would be doing in-flight refueling. I was an in-flight refueling specialist, and that's where you refuel planes in midair. So just think about that for a second. It was a roller coaster ride for sure. Literally refueling planes in midair, whether it was fighters, bombers, cargo aircraft, reconnaissance planes, maybe even other tankers, such as the one that I was on. As long as it was able to be refueled, we would do it, and we could also not only refuel Air Force planes, but we could also refuel Navy as well as Marines. So we were very versatile.

Trudie: 5:24

And where were you based out of at the time?

Kijuan: 5:27

Yeah, so I was stationed in North Carolina. I mean, yes, I was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina, but I also was stationed in North Carolina at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

Trudie: 5:39

Okay, my husband was also in the US Air Force, obviously retired now and living in Australia, but there is that connection there between us that you know that, serving One of the best branches ever. I'm sure he says the same thing. So, and in your life in general, what else were you up to?

Kijuan: 6:03

And in your life in general. What else were you up to? Yeah, so I, like I said, when I went to the reserves, my goal was not just to be, you know, still doing my job that I was doing on active duty, but I also wanted to go to school full time. That was one of my main goals, even when I joined active duty, was to get my schooling paid for, because if you did I think it's three and a half years of service, active duty service and you were dishonorable I mean honorably discharged you could get your schooling paid for from any you know accredited school, as long as, like I said, you had an honorable discharge and you did three and a half years. Those were the requirements that were needed, requirements that were needed Also. Once I got that you know commitment completed, I would go ahead and start doing my degree, which was in computer information systems, with a specialization in systems analysis and integration. A mouthful just to say hey, man, learn how to code. And so I learned how to code. I learned how to do a little bit of websites and learn some business lingo for the businesses and stuff like that that I would have to work with. And then I also wanted to commission to become a pilot, and so you need a four year degree in order to do that, and I didn't have one yet because that was the reason I was going to school your degree in order to do that and I didn't have one yet because that was the reason I was going to school. So that's what I was doing. I had well, once you get to the point of my accident, I have one year left to get it done. So I was, you know, pushing really hard, working, going to school, even had my own business. I was the CEO of my own business called Kiwi Enterprise. So this is my second business that I'm going to be talking to you about today. My first one was Kiwi Enterprise, where I did website design and management, social media marketing and photography for small businesses and those alike. So, yeah, that's what I was doing.

Kijuan: 7:58

I was also very active. I always played sports, like growing up. So growing up, I was outdoor kid and then, when I got to middle school and high school, I played football and ran track. I tried basketball. I didn't really like it. I like I played pickup games, you know, at the gym, you know stuff like that, but I did not like organized ball. It wasn't for me. I'm too physical and rough for that stuff. They would have called a foul on me every play. So I was like, yeah, no, I'm going to play something that's physical, which was football.

Kijuan: 8:31

And then in track, you know, I just ran and jumped. I definitely loved jumping. Jumping was my thing. I did long jump and high jump. I wanted to do triple jump but they wouldn't let me. I don't know why, and I did hurdles. So yeah, I was pretty real, you know, versed in a lot of things. I played in football. I played pretty much any position other than on the line. You know, I could play anything. It did not matter because my mind just was queued up and the IQ for it was just ready to go. All the time it didn't matter.

Trudie: 9:06

So as soon as I switched in that role, I'm now that you know so so let me get this straight you were in your mid-20s, you'd come out of active duty, you were studying hard at school, you were extremely active off the field, but very, very, very determined as well. Like you've already got your first business started and like you are going places.

Kijuan: 9:30

So how did?

Trudie: 9:31

that all change.

Kijuan: 9:35

Yeah. So, like I mentioned, you know, I was trying to get my degree so that I could commission to be a pilot. Well, fast forward another two years so that I could commission to be a pilot. Well, fast forward another two years. So you get what's that? 2017?

Kijuan: 9:57

We would be in now, may of this timeframe, and I was, of course, I mean living the life. I'm 25 years old at this time and when I tell you, it seemed like nothing could stop me. I was doing everything I possibly wanted to do. First and foremost, I mean going on trips, not only for the air force, but for myself. If I wanted to go on a cruise, I'm gone. You know things like that. And so, when I tell you, I was living life, had a, you know, had a girlfriend at the time, nice apartment, car, motorcycle, everything business I'm doing it all. You know. Going to school and and cycle everything business I'm doing it all, you know. Going to school and not just going to school. I was actually making the dean's list. You know what I mean. So I'm not just just talking about, you know. Oh, I'm getting a decent grade and then I'm going.

Trudie: 10:34

No, I'm making A's you know, yeah, you're not just cruising under the radar like you're literally working your butt off to get where you wanted to be. Yeah, and doing well at it. When I had my accident, I had a 3.87 GPA in college.

Kijuan: 10:57

That's incredible and I can remember it like it was yesterday. Yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday. You know, I took school seriously, like that was something that I always took seriously, like that was something that I always took seriously. And so, anywho, getting back to the story, you know that May 5th, which is the day of the accident, so I kind of give you a run up until the point, like I said, I was, I had my business, qe Enterprise.

Kijuan: 11:23

Well, that day I would jump on my motorcycle because I wanted to go take some pictures for one of the businesses, one of the websites, which is actually my church, my church's website. I wanted to go update their photos on the website, because I looked at the website and I was like, oh God, this thing is so out of date, you know, and I wanted to, you know, spiff it up, you know, because it seemed like it was just kind of thrown together. You know, and and I wanted to, you know, spiff it up, you know, because it seemed like it was just kind of thrown together, you know, when you don't have anybody, that's really a what can I say?

Kijuan: 11:50

a legitimate webmaster, whereas somebody like myself who actually went and took classes on it. You know what I mean. So anybody can put together a template, you know. But can you actually design this thing even if you don't have the templates, even if you don't have this? Oh, here's a plug in. No, I knew how to write code if I wanted something different. You know, I was that person and so I was like, let me do this for my church.

Kijuan: 12:20

And I took it over, which was, you know, just something I wanted to do and they didn't pay me a dime. I didn't want to be paid. I wanted to do this for my church and so, like I said, I jumped on my motorcycle my apartment to the church. The drive, or ride, shall I say, was about give or take 10 minutes and for all my riders you know what I mean it was probably shorter and so I get there in about 10 minutes and you know I'm taking the pictures of the outside. I didn't have any access to the inside because I don't have a key and stuff, but you know, I would definitely want to update the outside pictures and so I get all those pictures taken and I'm like this is a really nice day, spring time, sun is out, but there are clouds helping block it, so I'm not getting, you know, wilted.

Kijuan: 13:15

And the next thing, I know I'm like, you know, I got some time to kill. I think I'm going to keep riding for a little bit, because this 10 minute ride is not enough just to go put the bike right back up in the garage. And so I said, let me take off, I'm going to go to the lake and I head off to Jordan Lake here in North Carolina for those North Carolinians that know what I'm talking about and that's about 30 minutes from my church. It's about a 30 minute ride, which is great. That's a beautiful ride one way. I head out that way and no problem, I always go to the same part of the lake.

Kijuan: 13:55

By the way, on the cover, the backdrop is, you know, trees, a little bit of water off to the right, some rocks off to the left and like a period slash dock that you can see you can't see me, but you can see all this other stuff and it's just that, that scene. And then you'll see a motorcycle kind of in the middle of it. Well, that was the cover design that I came up with mentally and that they stitched together for the cover design editors. They stitched it all together for me, but that backdrop was Jordan Lake, the actual place that I went to go sit, and that motorcycle was my actual motorcycle.

Trudie: 14:45

I call her Nina I love that you name your motorcycle yeah, yeah, I named all my cars, motorcycles, everything.

Kijuan: 14:52

I name it all. Everybody has a different name. So all of that that's on the cover and so that actual spot that you can see, basically looking down the, the walkway of the pier slash dock, that was where I would actually sit. That that may 5th, um, before my my accident occurred, and so I'm just sitting there and I go there to like, meditate, zone out, you know, just kind of be at peace. You know it's so quiet, you don't get a lot of traffic, especially not during the day.

Kijuan: 15:25

And this, like I said, was may 5th 2017 what some might call cinco de mayo I call my new life journey and a car would come by on the highway and this is highway 751 in north carolina and, uh, I happened. I got started, of course. So now I'm looking at my watch and I'm like, oh snap, I got to go because I had to work that night for the air force actually that weekend. And, um, I said, shoot, I got to go, I got to go get you know, go to work and get ready to get out of here. And so I jump on the bike here, I go, well, on this back highway, uh,1, it's like a two lane. It's a two. Well, it is not like it's a two lane road the lane that I'm in and the lane that's coming the cars is coming past me, so all is well there.

Kijuan: 16:16

Ok, here, and then also in North Carolina, if you look at that cover, you'll see tall trees. Well, that's the same thing. Along that back road was a bunch of tall trees all the way back. The only time you didn't see trees is at an intersection or somebody's driveway or a gas station, and then they had like a produce farm out there you know things like that where they needed to be cut back. Basically, well, as I'm riding, I had a helmet, full face. Helmet, now, full face, that's all I wore. I don't wear the bucket, I don't wear none of that. The skull, whatever they call it, I don't wear none of that. I wear full face and I always keep my visor down, and so I don't like bugs getting in, and so, as I'm riding, I have bluetooth capability in my headset on the right side and I can listen to music, and so I'm not sure if you're familiar with bruno mars I am yes, so I again.

Kijuan: 17:22

This is 2017 and more than likely listening to the Bruno Mars 24 karat magic album, I am probably jamming out because I love music and for Trudy, she can see behind me that I have drums and a keyboard, so you know I'm a musician. I also do a little bit of singing, so music has been my life for a long time and I'm loving this album. I'm riding, just you know, enjoying the ride, and everything was fine until it wasn't and that was when I would be approaching an intersection and a silver hondo court would pull out in front of me and, as I always tell this story, I had three options I could go right and go into the trees that I told you guys about. I could go left and go into the oncoming traffic, because I did mention to you all about that.

Kijuan: 18:27

Or I could do what ended up happening and freeze up and hit him, because the thing is, people some people, not everybody some people think that motorcycles can stop on a dime. Oh, you would be right. I'll give you the two reasons how or ways, how. The first way would be you lock up the front brake and you flip off of it. The second one would be you let the bike, you laid the bike down or had an accident, basically, like I did, the only two ways that bike is going to stop like this.

Kijuan: 19:01

Ok, so I stopped the bike, but it was because of a car got it and I was the imprint, and so that was where he would pull out in front of me, like I said, and, uh, I would hit him. Now, the reason I know about this? Because I honestly do not recollect any, any of this. I cannot recall, um, the actual accident. Now I do remember everything leading up to it, like I told you guys about the riding down the street and all that, but the actual accident, thank god, honestly, because I don't. I don't think I want to relive it.

Kijuan: 19:39

The reason I know about it is from the police report, the witnesses who wrote something on the police report, what the officers told my mom, the nurses, everybody, the word of mouth is how I found out, and so on the police report, man pulls out in front of me. Ok, now he's at fault, so it was not my fault. Two cars were behind him at this intersection, same intersection. They wrote on the police report, they saw me coming, so they don't know why he didn't. And yes, I'm saying he, because it was a man according to the police report. I'm saying he because it was a man according to the police report.

Kijuan: 20:31

And so when I hear this, it infuriates me Because now you were distracted, that's all I could think, if two cars behind you can see me and you jump out in front of me, that means you were distracted somehow, because, like I told y'all, every intersection, every driveway, every gas station, all the trees are cut back so you can see what's coming, because the speed limit on this back road is 55 miles an hour.

Kijuan: 20:57

You do not want to pull out in front of, for example, another truck or even like a 18-wheeler. I told you there's a produce farm back there. What if an 18-wheeler I told you there's a produce farm back there. What if an 18-wheeler carrying produce came down the road at 55, 60 miles an hour and you pulled out in front of it? It's going to take you with it, a hundred percent, yeah. So it was one of those things where, you know, once I found that out, I didn't want to be bothered, because he did want to see me at the hospital when I finally woke up. And I say finally because, after being life flighted to the hospital, after being, you know, worked on with countless surgeries for a month and a day, yeah, I didn't wake up until June, the 6th of 2017. Wow, yeah, I was in a medically induced coma.

Trudie: 21:53

Okay, so just to like recap everything you've said, you had gone out as part of your day-to-day business doing volunteer work, because you are giving back to your church community by helping them with their website. It's a beautiful spring day. You've decided to go out to this lake that you always ride out to have this beautiful moment, meditating in nature, driving home or riding home ready to go to work. Everything is going beautifully. You're listening to your music, having a great old time, and then, in a split second, your life has completely changed because of somebody's disregard for the respect of driving a vehicle on a road.

Kijuan: 22:42

Absolutely, you nailed it.

Trudie: 22:45

And you spent like you said. You spent a month in an induced coma before you were able to wake up, obviously having multiple surgeries. And when you wake up, and obviously you're still in hospital, how is life different for you?

Kijuan: 23:02

Is life different for you? Well, first and foremost, I wake up not really fully aware of where I am. I thought I was at home in my bedroom. I'll be honest, I'm thinking it's May 5th or May 6th. I thought the day had just restarted. And so I wake up, but I'm hearing voices. I'm like what the heck? Who is in my room? And so, oh, OK, that's my girlfriend. I know why she would be here.

Trudie: 23:34

Wait a minute. What the heck is my mom?

Kijuan: 23:35

doing here? Mom, I need you to get out of here. I don't think I'm dressed appropriately for you to be in here and that's all. I'm sitting there thinking. But then I'm listening to the conversation they're having, because they are talking to each other and I hear them talking about some motorcycle accident and I'm like who are they talking about? And I could not figure it out, because they're doing everything generalized. Well, I wish this would have never happened and I just hope he makes it out OK, and this, that and everything is general, it's he, it's this, is that, it's I hope you know. You know just the general statements and I'm like, will somebody please say a name? And not once. Not once did they say a name. And so now I'm fed up. I'm like, forget it, I'm just going to wake up and ask them who they talking about. So I wake up.

Kijuan: 24:35

Well, I was already awake but now I'm revealing to them I'm awake and that I've been eavesdropping, and so I opened my eye, only to not be able to see anything. So, yes, I woke up, without I say it wasn't gradually taken away from me. And so I woke up, opened my eyes and I'm like wait a minute, I can't see. Ok, maybe my eyes just a little blurry. Let me try that again. Is it dark in this room? Okay, I can't see anything. This is not fun. And so now I don't like the game that's being played. So I go in and I'm trying to say something. I'm like maybe they did this. And so, since it was two people in the room, like, oh, they finna, fix this eye problem right now. And I go to say something only to him, and now I can't talk Because my jaw had been broken and they wired it shut.

Trudie: 25:48

How did you feel in that moment? Because to one wake up and not be able to see, and you're not knowing if this is permanent or if this is. There's something over your eyes, but now you can't speak either and communicate with the people in the room to tell them you're actually awake. What was that moment actually like for you?

Kijuan: 26:09

I think that was my first time ever panicking. I think that was the first time in my life I had ever panicked Because I didn't like what I what was going on. I felt like it was a nightmare. I feel like I need to just go back to sleep and try this again. I need to wake up out of the dream. You know how you feel like when you're in a bad dream. You just wake up. Wake up like, oh my God, I'm so glad that was a dream. Yeah, no, mine wasn't. I wish it was. I wish that tonight, when I lay down and I wake up in the morning, it'll be over. Oh yeah, that was close. That was a long seven years. You know, that's what I'm wishing, that's what I hoped, but now I've learned to live with it.

Kijuan: 26:56

But at that time, oh, it's panic mode, it is full on. Hello, y'all gonna figure this out because I don't like it. Take this. Whatever you got on my eyes, take it off. And whatever y'all got me not not to be able to speak, I want it done. Remove it now. And so I'm trying my best to communicate is one of them on each side. So, like I said, my girlfriend and then my mom, and they were on each side of my bed trying to, just trying to figure out what I'm saying and my mom is like slow down, calm down, and I'm like calm down.

Kijuan: 27:32

What you mean calm down? How do you expect me to calm down in a situation like this? You know, that's all I'm thinking. I'm doing my best to relay messages through my teeth, basically because you can't, when your mouth is wired shut, you can't even separate your teeth. For those who did not know, you cannot separate your teeth. It's not just you know, you're holding your mouth closed, trying to be a ventriloquist, you know, or something. No, it's not that. This is literally no movement of the jaw. She, she, she, hands, she, she finally says hold on, hold on. And then I say, um, whatever, you know, I'm just fed up at this point, whatever. And she says here, and I'm like what? And she's like hold out your hands. And so I hold out my hands and she puts a notepad and a pencil in it and I say, well, I didn't say anything. I gave. That was probably the meanest side eye I had ever given my mom in my life. Okay, and I meant that thing I was like really, are you serious right now?

Kijuan: 28:49

how am I supposed to do this? I can't see, and I keep pointing at myself. I'm trying to talk it, but I'm pointing.

Trudie: 29:03

So at this point they didn't know that your site was taken, that you couldn't see. Oh they knew.

Kijuan: 29:09

They knew. That's why she gave it to me, because she was like but you've been writing and I'm like, no, I haven't, I just woke up. So apparently my subconscious was able just please just write it down. Try not to write over top of what you've already wrote. And I'm like, when I tell you I'm frustrated at this point, that doesn't even begin to describe me, like you know. You know how you see cartoons and their head pops off and stuff. That's what I'm doing right now. And so I'm like, whatever, I'm gonna write this down.

Kijuan: 29:56

If I write over top of something, I don't care. You shouldn't have gave me the paper. I don't really care, huh. And I shove it back at her when she reads it and I basically ask her the question, saying um, what is this motorcycle accident dream you guys are talking about? And she reads that and then she turns back to me and says that's not a dream, that's what happened to you. And I don't know if you've ever heard the phrase that says felt like you got hit with a ton of bricks but that's what felt, like you got hit with a ton of bricks, but that's what it felt like.

Trudie: 30:39

I got hit with a ton of bricks. I can only begin to imagine, like even sitting here, listening to you retell that story. I'm sitting here trying to imagine that frustration and anguish of I'm lying here, waking up, feeling like I've just woken up from a dream. I can hear these people talking about a motorcycle accident. I try to open my eyes, I can't see. I try to open my mouth, I can't speak. My mum's asking me to write shit down and I'm like I don't know what I'm doing here. And then she turns and says to you we're talking about you, this is what's happened.

Kijuan: 31:18

Like that's a life-changing moment in itself you're telling me without all the emotion that goes along with it well, just imagine going from I'm gonna play a funny joke and I'm going to act like I'm asleep, to waking up to a panic, to going from panic to frustration, to going from frustration to holy crap, completion of the shock. And this is in less than 30 minutes, by the way, those are all the emotions I went through and I, after you know she, told me that, um, I didn't. I didn't interact with anybody for the rest of that day, and probably not until the next day or so, because now I'm, my brain is trying to get wrapped around it.

Trudie: 32:10

Yeah, you're trying to process that news.

Kijuan: 32:13

Well, I'm a critical thinker, I'm a huge critical thinker. So my brain is like, well, how in the heck did this happen? And I never was asked the question until like a day or two later, whatever. I don't remember how long ago or how long it took me, but I know for sure it was another day. It was not the same day. I do know that much.

Kijuan: 32:34

So, as I'm processing all this, the worst thing to happen is to allow your brain just to sit idle with these thoughts. And the reason I say that is because I created so many different scenarios in how this could happen to me, different scenarios in how this could have happened to me, and none of them were that. None of them were this guy pulled out in front of me and you know where I was like. I was like, wait a minute, I could have sworn. I went to, didn't I have my car? Oh yeah, that's right, I did go home, you know, and my brain is trying to process the entire situation.

Kijuan: 33:13

But when you come out of anesthesia, when you come out of uh or being on opioids cause I was on oxycodone, I was on all these different drugs, sleeping medications, like when your blood pressure medication when you're coming from all these different medications and drugs and your brain has the fog of the Middle East in fall, because if you've ever been to the Middle East in fall, it's some bad fog. This is terrible what I'm dealing with at this point. You know what I mean. So my thought process behind it, and I can man I. It's hard to relive it because the emotions that come back from it Sometimes I get chills when I think about it those emotions were just jumping every which away and I'm even still thinking wait a minute, I got to go to work Because I don't even know what.

Kijuan: 34:15

I still have yet to ask what day it is. By the way, I found out what day it was because I asked the next day. That was when I came back to talking, because I asked the next day what happened, and so all I did was backtrack one day to find out what day I actually woke up. And so I'm just thinking it's, it's daggum, you know, still May, and I still got to go to work. Like I'm thinking, maybe it's May 6th versus May 5th now, and I'm waking up a day later in the hospital, uh, just not unable to move, but I'm thinking I got to go to work. I'm thinking the Air Force is going to consider me AWOL and they're going to put me in jail, like literally. These are the thoughts that crossed my mind.

Trudie: 35:06

You're literally trying to make sense of your new reality, where you are, what you're doing, what you're supposed to be doing, and you know how much time has even passed, like that's a whole level of utter confusion for anybody to actually go through and experience. And you're doing this without your sight and without being able to talk, like your basic senses have been taken from you yeah, yeah, I couldn't talk, couldn't, uh see, couldn't even smell.

Kijuan: 35:41

I didn't realize I couldn't smell yet and that was due to the reconstructive surgery that they had to do on my face, because my face was crushed in.

Trudie: 35:59

So I have two metal plates in my head, okay, so Trudy, can you see this little curve right here?

Kijuan: 36:03

I can see that scar. Yeah, that's a metal plate right there.

Trudie: 36:06

So let me ask you this You've woken up in the hospital, 25 years of age, with a major life shift. Of life will never be the same again. How did you move forward from that?

Kijuan: 36:24

Well, first off, it wasn't easy and it was not the next day the biggest thing that helped me, because I I'm one of the what was, shall I say, one of the safer riders you would, you would have ran into as far as motorcyclists, no point in running to. But the thing is, once I was told that it was not my fault, once I was told that it was not my fault, it took a lot of stress off of me Because I felt at some point I was like, how did I do this? Like, what, what? What did I do? And I just kept thinking it was me.

Kijuan: 37:02

And then, when my mom finally told me it was somebody else, I said, wait, what? Ok, yes, that does take some weight off me. But wait, what? Like who is this person? I to no, I don't want to know. But you know, I kept going back and forth. I want to know, no, I don't want to know, I want to know I might jump on him and I'm just that's all I'm thinking, and I'm because I'm literally going back and forth that I either gonna hurt this man or I want to know this man. I didn't know what to do because you changed my life forever.

Trudie: 37:35

A hundred percent.

Kijuan: 37:36

Yeah, like I told you, he did want to see me. And when I, when I finally woke up, he, he reached out to, I guess, the lawyers that we were showing him with to get in touch with my mom and tried to come up to the hospital to, at least you know, apologize and everything. And I just I couldn't at that time, I could not handle that, I couldn't. I said no, no, do you want me to go to jail? And my mom was like what I said, do you want me to go to jail? And she was like what do you mean? I was like what I said do you want me to go to jail? And she was like what do you mean? I was like I'm going to find a way to get a hold of him because he changed my life.

Kijuan: 38:18

I mean, since then it took a couple of a little while, maybe a couple of years, but I have since then forgiven him. I have, and I cannot lie, I did forgive him. But at that time, oh no, we putting on gloves, we getting in the boxing ring, everything. Oh, it's going to be Kangaroo Jack.

Trudie: 38:42

A little Aussie reference there. Look, what's there for me is that I don't think anybody listening to your story would be able to say that they takes an incredible human being to do that, because most people would not get to that stage.

Kijuan: 39:19

Right, yeah, and that's where my faith came in, though, like I was still a faith believer, because that's one of the biggest things that got me over and got me through this, and it's still getting me through it today. Not only am I a musician, but I play at my church. You know, I play drums at my church, so, and I've been playing since I was 10 or 12 at my church can't remember now, I'm 33 now but uh, I started playing the drums at seven, but I started playing at my church about somewhere around 10 or 12, something like that.

Trudie: 39:56

I love that and that you still give back to your community in that way and you will get into the music part of it later, but it's such an incredibly beautiful gift to give back.

Kijuan: 40:08

Yes, it is.

Trudie: 40:10

So tell me, after your accident accident and obviously everything you've been through, all the rehabilitation you've got to go through, learning to live life again, because literally some of your you like one of your main senses has been taken from you what was the turning point after the accident that had you kind of go through it? Because I'm guessing that during this time you're probably like and forgive me if I'm wrong in saying this, but you're probably like I just wish I wasn't here, I wish I'd just been taken that day.

Kijuan: 40:43

Yeah, I had those thoughts we call those suicidal thoughts and I definitely had those ideations, for sure.

Trudie: 40:51

And I don't doubt that at all.

Kijuan: 40:53

So what was the?

Trudie: 40:54

turning point. Then, after the accident that had you go no, this is my life and this is how I'm going to live it.

Kijuan: 41:05

It had to do a little bit with. You know the people around me and that kept coming to. You know, visit me, wanting to talk, call and talk to me. And then you had the just a sure mindset of, oh there are things that I can do, Like what?

Kijuan: 41:26

And I got curious. So now I'm curious. Not only am I doing, you know physical therapy, because I did have to learn how to walk again, so not only am I learning how you know doing physical therapy, orientation and mobility, which is learning how to use a white cane and navigate different areas, such as your house. Or if you, if you worked your job, they teach you how to navigate around your job. Or if you went to school, they teach you how to navigate a school, different things like that.

Kijuan: 41:53

I am also now able to do sports. Are you serious? And I told y'all how I was back in school I played football, ran track and I played pickup basketball. Now, okay, I can't play football anymore. I don't want to get hit with a ball or a person. I don't want to get hit with a ball or a person. I don't want to get hit with either one of those a ball or a person. Ok, they both hurt. If you can't see it. And now running, I can still do. I can still hit a track if I wanted to. I don't know if I want to do too much jumping because of the metal parts that are in there and the land is not as as good as it used to be. It's not as soft as it used to be. I can, if I want to run, though. I've done shot put, I've done discus, I've done rowing, I've done archery, I've done air rifle power lifting.

Trudie: 42:51

I feel like I'm forgetting one of them. Sheesh, the fact that you've just listed off all those things that you have done since losing your sight is incredible, because most people don't do a single one of those things and have full vision.

Kijuan: 43:03

Yeah, I did rock climbing. I've done downhill skiing on real snow not the artificial stuff on real snow in Vermont. I actually did that last year. What a bowling. I mean, listen, I've actually shot basketball before too, and I'm going to tell you how I did it, because some people probably like, well, how do you do that? He can't see the goal? You know, ok, you're right, I cannot see it. But what I did was I was placed at this free throw line. First.

Kijuan: 43:37

The person who I was with took the ball and they got up under the rim and they hit the front of the rim with the basketball three different times. They were like, ok, I'm about to hit it now, and they would throw the ball up. Boom, ok, I'm gauging it, I'm about to hit it now, and they would throw the ball up. I was like, okay, I'm gauging it, I'm gauging it. And then they said, all right, I'm gonna hit it again now. Okay, oh, yeah, yeah, I got this. And then they're going to do it one more time. Okay, yes, okay, I'm ready, give me the ball.

Kijuan: 44:08

And I did not move my head to save my life, like my head would not move. I made sure it didn't move because that was where the goal was, was where my head was. Now my arms have to judge the distance based off the sound that I was hearing, and so those sound waves that kept traveling from the goal to my ears is what I was gauging my hearing off of in the distance, the time and distance. I was a math major, by the way, and so now, as I'm using time and distance and I will and I'm focused in on where the goalie is like my head is pointed up and everything at where the goal is, I don't.

Kijuan: 44:47

I think I took maybe a dribble and then I picked the ball up and I shot it. And I mean when I say the most perfect form in basketball I've ever shot, because I don't like shooting free throws, but that was probably the most perfect form free throw I had ever shot in my life. And so when I say that, when I tell you that was the most perfect form nothing but net and I don't mean I just hit the net, I went, it went in the basket, swish. I said they were like nothing but net. I said, dang, I missed that bad. They were like no, it went in. I said I was like oh, and it was like I was like I want to do it one more time.

Kijuan: 45:31

She's like okay, you want me to hit the goal? I said, yeah, just do it once. I said okay, and she boom. And then she handed me the ball back and yes, I said she, it was a female, she was doing this for me and I took the ball and I shot it again. Swish Again. I said yeah, yeah, yeah, one more time. One more time. She hit the goal and I took it one more time. I was like, please don't let me miss this. And so I shot it again. Swish, three in a row. She's like you want to keep going? I said nope, I'm finishing on top.

Trudie: 46:02

You've got that hat trick and the question I want to ask with that is that it's been said that when you lose one of your senses whether that's vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch is that it heightens the other senses. Do you believe that's true in your case, that your other senses have been heightened with the loss of your sight?

Kijuan: 46:25

It absolutely makes you more reliant upon them, and what you do is you just kind of shift your focus, so your brain's focus just shifts more towards it. With my hearing, I do have a little bit of hearing loss, not much, but a little bit of hearing loss in my right ear, and that's mainly due to two things the plane that I was, on the engines, I would sometimes have my headset off. The right ear the microphone was attached to the left, so I would never take that one off, because if I needed to speak I would just already have that in my face. But the right side I would slide off because I can hear people talking that are in the cockpit. I can hear you because we're close quarters.

Kijuan: 47:06

But if we got those engines on and I got that thing off, I mean it sucks, because those things are loud. They're not like, uh, commercial airlines, the, the, the planes, uh, especially the one that I flew on. It was built back in the 50s and so the, the insulation, is nothing like commercial airliners. You, the, when you get on a commercial airliner, be happy. Ok, because we got to wear these big old, bulky headsets that are like noise, almost noise canceling, and some people do buy the noise canceling headsets, but I didn't have the noise canceling ones. Anyway, I I would have that off sometimes. And the other thing that kind of messed up that hearing on my right side is the drums, you know, because it's so loud when you play yeah, but hey, that's, that's all musicians that play in loud.

Kijuan: 47:59

You know live settings. You're gonna lose some kind of hearing unless you play with some ear in-ear monitors, and that's why I have these now in-ear monitors, because they deaden out the sound.

Trudie: 48:11

Got it. The next question I have for you, just on all of that, and it's kind of just, you know, as we've been going through your story and I've kind of had this, oh, I forgot about that bit. You said when you woke up you're like oh my God, I'm supposed to be at work. How was it because obviously you're still working with the military at this stage how was it to actually then deal with the fact that you were going to have to be discharged from the military because that's the life you had prior to your accident and then return to civilian life, like? What was that like?

Kijuan: 48:49

I think that might have been the heart, the hardest part of the reality, because that, like I told you guys, that job is nothing like it. In-flight refueling just and I dare everybody who hears this, please go look up what that is in-flight refueling. Okay, because when you see this on youtube, google, wherever you find it, you're going to be like there's no way he was doing that. Yes, it was me, and I was on the KC 135. If you want to know what kind of airplane that looks like, just type that in and you'll see the plane pop up.

Kijuan: 49:25

And so when I was thinking about it, that's where the depression and like suicidal thoughts came in, because I would be thinking about this, not just daydreaming. Even when I'm asleep I'm dreaming about this. I couldn't escape it. And so now and I know it was because I love the job, that was the first thing I knew that, first and foremost, it was because I loved the job. That was the first thing I knew that first and foremost, it was because I loved the job. So now that I can't escape these thoughts and these dreams that keep reappearing, literally I'm looking at a jet and I can't see a thing. I'm looking at one, though my brain is creating the image that's behind me and I'm supposed to be refilling it when I have these kind of thoughts and these images, the imagery just popping up in my head.

Trudie: 50:24

It was one of those moments where you knew it was like it's never, it's never going to happen again.

Kijuan: 50:30

That must have been devastating, yeah yeah. Now you're faced with this harsh reality and I had to make sure that I didn't fall into denial, because that was where the suicidal part came from. Oh no, it's going to come back. My eyesight is going to come back any day now. Any day now. I'm watching the Carolina Panthers game and listening to it on the TV, and I can listen to this game all day long and I fall asleep Right, and as I fall asleep, the game is on TV now, but in my mind I am creating the image and it seems like I'm watching it. So when I wake up to realize that I'm still blind, just imagine how that feels.

Trudie: 51:11

I can only begin to imagine.

Kijuan: 51:13

Yeah, so when I tell people, like I told my friend today when I was on the phone with him, I said, brother, when you wake up and you wake up without sight, just imagine it. Just imagine tomorrow you wake up, open your eyes, and you don't Just imagine tomorrow you wake up, open your eyes and you don't see a thing. I said that's basically what I woke up to when I was in that hospital One day I had sight and the next day I didn't.

Trudie: 51:41

And I suppose it's something. It's a reality that you have to wake up with every single day, because when you go to sleep and then you wake up first thing in the morning, your natural thing is to like okay, open my eyes, start my day, but you're left with this reality every single day that life is dark, like there is no. There is no sight.

Kijuan: 52:02

Yeah, yeah, no, seriously, um, and I kind of have learned. I definitely had to learn to deal with this. And he said it best. He said, man, you've coped with this well. And I was like, yeah, but there are days and don't get me wrong Listen when I tell you I get going and I'm gone, I feel like I'm looking at everything I'm doing Because I'm so familiar with the world.

Kijuan: 52:38

You know, I can only imagine what it's like for those who've never seen, because I do know some. Some people like that. They were born without sight. But for me I have seen things.

Kijuan: 52:50

So when I touch something or I hear something, I envision it and then I see it basically Like I was just at the gym today when I touched the bar. I envision what I'm feeling. Okay, these little bump dots on the on the bar is greedy. Okay, I know that that feels like what it looks like. Okay, is the smooth area? Okay, that clink was the lock and I'm envisioning all of it.

Trudie: 53:14

I'm not even touching it, but I can hear it and I know exactly what it is and just based on what you said then, one of the things that you actually told me in your application to be on the podcast is and I loved it Like it just gave me chills, and it gives me chills now, even saying it back to you is that you lost your sight, but not your vision.

Kijuan: 53:40

Yeah.

Trudie: 53:41

Like such a powerful statement.

Kijuan: 53:44

Yeah, thank you. Yeah, I, I actually got that. I mean, I didn't take it from anybody. What I'm saying is I got that in a spiritual moment because somebody was asking me something. I was at church, actually, and they, they just came up to me and they're like, they just called me bro bro, how do you?

Kijuan: 54:05

do it.

Kijuan: 54:05

It was a young lady. She said I might do what. She's like I see you moving around church and this is before the pandemic and everything. I just see you moving around the church and flowing so freely and you're always smiling and you just move so carelessly like nothing ever happened. And I'm like, well, I know for sure it happened, but what do you mean by that? And she's like I just feel like I should be happier in life because I haven't been through nearly as much as what you've been through. I said let me stop you there. I don't want you to compare your life to mine, because what you're dealing with is valid. So what I want you to do is realize one thing about me yeah, I might be walking around here smiling, everything.

Kijuan: 54:52

I know I lost my sight. I know that part. But what I didn't lose was my vision. And she was like what? And then she bursted out in tears instantly. She was like that made so much sense and I was like well, the thing about my vision is that I've always wanted to help other people, and so, yeah, I lost my sight, but I didn't lose my vision, and that was to help people. So when I'm out here mentoring. I'm out here motivating, inspiring, coaching. That's helping others.

Trudie: 55:30

Yeah, such a beautiful way to look at your life moving forward. I have a question inside of that did you go back and finish your schooling?

Kijuan: 55:42

no no and I'm gonna tell you why. A lot of people ask me that, well, you're gonna go back to school, you should go back to school. And I said well, you know, the reason I was going to school was for the military. I'm no longer in it. That was literally the only reason I was going to school was for the military. I'm no longer in it. That was literally the only reason I was getting a degree because I could go, I could be in the military without one. First off, I had already had a business, so it wasn't like I needed it for the business. The only reason I needed my degree at that time was to commission that was it?

Trudie: 56:15

Yeah, and you said you had hopes of becoming a pilot.

Kijuan: 56:19

Yeah, that was the requirement. You needed a degree. So that was what I was getting my degree in and I loved computers. So that's why I chose the background that I was getting it in. It's because I love computers, I love electronics.

Trudie: 56:34

They're amazing to me. And the other thing you said was and I go back, as you've mentioned it a couple of times, like one, I can visually see your drum set behind you, but you said that you'd been playing back in your church as well. Tell me how music has been healing for you. And I know the power of healing in music because my son uses music and that's he's a dj and music producer and he uses it as a healing form for himself. So how has that been healing for you?

Kijuan: 57:07

I'm gonna have to get, uh, your son's information, anyway, no, so music is is awesome, first and foremost. I actually go to music therapy. That's how I'm learning the keyboard right now Because, like I told you, I've been playing drums since I was seven, so I know those, but I still, I still am learning. Don't get me wrong, because I try to keep up with what's going on now, what's relevant now in the drummer's world community, however you want to phrase it, but the keyboard I just started learning in the pandemic 2020. So I need to get back on it. The thing is, I keep putting other things on top of it, like my business and things like that, so I put other things ahead of it.

Kijuan: 57:56

Music is healing because it does actually vibe with your soul. Your inner being loves music. Now, be clear what music you feed yourself will determine your mood A hundred percent. If you're always playing sad songs, guess what you're going to be Sad. If you're out here playing angry, rage heavy metal, all that crazy death metal stuff, guess what you're going to be. You're going to be crazy and out of control. You know what I mean and and even with rap, the way it's changed now, it's like it's not.

Trudie: 58:40

I wish somebody understood what I was saying, because it's apparently that people don't understand that rap, hip-hop, all that stuff has shifted so far left nowadays it has, and I'll agree with that, because I'm a Gen X girl and I grew up with traditional 80s rap, so the rap of today is not the rap of yesteryear.

Kijuan: 59:02

Come on, come on now. And so I'm a 90s baby, so when you hit the, even the 90s era was was actually pretty cool in rapping and R&B and stuff like that especially R&B, so I love rhythm and blues. Neo soul is pretty good. I grew up in the church, though, so gospel quartet, um, you know things like that. Yeah, the contemporary is okay, but it's getting a little too far out there too, like like they're they're actually. Have you heard of afrobeat?

Kijuan: 59:33

no so afrobeat came from gosh? Please don't I hope I'm not saying this incorrectly but I think it's kenya. It's from africa, of course, but I think it's kenya, don't. If I misspoke, I'm sorry, they'll correct me, but anyway, they're actually throwing that in gospel music now and it's actually for like rap songs, stuff that you rap on, you know, and that's that's my thing, like trying to mix that stuff. You're not supposed to do that. You know what I mean. So I don't know, I just try to stay in what I control or can't control, to stay in what I control or can't control.

Kijuan: 1:00:19

And as far as music healing, it has done a lot for me because I listen to if I'm feeling a certain way, especially about my day, if I need to get my day started. There's this song out called good day by frank or forest frank. So if you've never heard of it, I hope you, guys, guys, can get it in Australia. I'm pretty sure you can, and that is a song that will get you going. I mean, it's just such a beautiful song to start your day. And one lady that I was, I did a podcast and she's like do you, what song do you listen to? And I think she's from Canada. And she's like and I told her that one. When she was like, oh, I don't think I've heard it, I said, well, it goes like this and I started singing it to her I'm about to have a good day in every single way. And she's like oh yeah, no, no, I do know that song, me, and my kids listen to it every morning before they go to school.

Trudie: 1:01:08

That's so cool.

Kijuan: 1:01:09

Yeah, and I was like perfect, cool. Yeah, and I was like perfect. That's a great song for them to listen to before they go to school so they can have a good day in every single way.

Trudie: 1:01:21

So yeah, I love that. That you know inside of music and healing and using it for therapy is that you know even now, just hearing you sing a little bit, hearing you laugh, like you haven't lost the zest for life, despite everything you've been through.

Kijuan: 1:01:40

Yeah, yeah, could have easily, and that's why I tell somebody else I could have easily turned to the dark side Easily. And I don't say no point intended, I don't the way I see.

Trudie: 1:01:53

I don't doubt that at all. Um, but inside that, you're using that gift, I suppose, to one become a motivational speaker and to create Amy Motivation. Yeah, tell me more about that yeah, tell me more about that.

Kijuan: 1:02:18

Yeah, no, any motivation came about and and I had this wasn't like uh, day one, oh, I'm gonna be a motivational speaker. Ah, listen, I have never, never wanted to be a person that stood in front of a bunch of people just speaking. Okay, never hear me. Clearly now, in front of my family, my friends, I can be a clown and get in front of me all day and joke. I've done acting before. I used to be an actor, like all of that stuff is cool, but when you literally have to be the guru, the expert, the I know what I'm talking about in front of everybody that's in the audience and they're just staring at you, I never wanted to be that, but you know, I got a superpower. You want to know what it is?

Trudie: 1:03:02

Tell me I can't see you.

Kijuan: 1:03:07

Literally, I cannot see you. So, whether it's me and you, or me and 1500 people in this room, I can't see you. My job is to deliver a message that impacts you, and that's really what my mind was shifted to, instead of me worrying about how many people are there. Did we sell any tickets? Did this? No man. Hey, your job is to tell your story. Your job is to motivate. Your job is to inspire. Your job is to impact, connect, change somebody's life For the better. And so when I got that mindset and and just started attacking things that way, everything shift. The doors started opening, I mean like floodgates. Um, because I stopped worrying about the wrong things, I started worrying about the things I can do versus the thing I couldn't do. Am Amy, motivation is not just about me doing keynote speeches.

Kijuan: 1:04:20

I also put videos of me working out at the gym on Instagram. Why do I do that? It's not to show you my muscles. It's to show you that this guy that was bedridden for two Well, no, it was longer than that, it was about four, four months this guy that was bedridden for four months is now bench pressing over 225 pounds, is now squatting over 225 pounds, is now deadlifting over 225 pounds. 25 pounds is now dead lifting, over 225 pounds. That's what it is. To show you that if I can get up out of a bed where I've been literally, literally cut from head all the way down to my right foot and can still do that stuff, what's your excuse? Because they've now called me the excuse destroyer. Wow, so I suggest you get in, you should. What's your excuse? Because they now call me the excuse destroyer. Wow, so I suggest you get in, you should. You should get on board. That's what I suggest. We can get on board and do this thing together.

Trudie: 1:05:28

Let's be excuse destroyers. You have literally hit me in all the fields and I'm like there is no excuse, even in my life right now, for whatever I want to do, like that in alone is just yeah Wow.

Kijuan: 1:05:42

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I mean I talk about. I talked about the adaptive sports I talked about and and you know, I went. I actually compete, not just, you know, participate, I compete in adaptive sports as well. So I've won medals. I have actually been what do you call it? Invited to the Paralympics rowing team for tryouts. I've been invited to that. That's so cool. Team USA, by the way. For people that don't know what I'm talking about, I've been invited to that. That's so cool. Team USA, by the way, for people that don't know what I'm talking about, I've been invited to those tryouts.

Kijuan: 1:06:21

I don't just. I mean, yes, I play the drums and I've been playing for a long time, but I do it very well. It's not like I'm just playing them, just to be playing them, because that was something I did before. No, I play them at a high level, to the point where I can travel with people and be their drummer, and I do so much that sometimes I forget, like even the book. I forget that I wrote it. Like, until somebody brings it up. I forget that I wrote because my thought process was not to be like yeah, I'm an author, what you going to say about that? That was not what the book was for. The book was to tell my side of the story and literally put you in my shoes. So you know these different things that I do the speaking, the mentoring, the coaching, the ambassadorship, because I'm an ambassador as well. I don't just do that for me, it's not to give notoriety to me, it's to help and benefit others.

Trudie: 1:07:31

I totally get that. It's one of the reasons I wrote my book after everything I'd been through. It's why I'm a life coach now as well, it's why I do the podcast to share other people's stories, and I just think what you have created out of such adversity is commendable but courageous, because most people would literally give up and be like life is over, and you have turned it around and made it into something so incredibly powerful yeah, yeah, no well, I want to thank you for being a part of the podcast.

Trudie: 1:08:16

Before I finish up, though, your book is available on Amazon for my listeners.

Kijuan: 1:08:21

Yes, it's on Amazon, Audible, Kindle and Apple Books.

Trudie: 1:08:27

So people can get it from literally everywhere, which is great. I'm definitely going to get a copy myself. I'm more curious to hear about your story.

Kijuan: 1:08:38

Yeah, yeah oh. By the way, the title is don't focus on why me from motorcycle accident to miracle.

Trudie: 1:08:47

And you literally are a miracle, kiwan, like it has been an absolute honor and privilege chatting with you today and hearing your story, and I think some of your little life lessons that you bring out throughout the episode will definitely resonate with my listeners.

Kijuan: 1:09:06

Thank you. I really appreciate you having me on your platform to tell my story.

Trudie: 1:09:10

You're most welcome, and I always finish the episode by asking what is the one thing you are most grateful for today?

Kijuan: 1:09:20

Life Honestly, because I should not be here. If you ask any surgeon who did a surgery on me, I should not be here.

Trudie: 1:09:32

I've even talked to one.

Kijuan: 1:09:34

I have literally actually talked to one face to face after my surgery and he was like what the heck you know Well let me just say I'm so grateful that you are here today with us.

Trudie: 1:09:49

Thank you.

Kijuan: 1:09:50

Thank you, thank you.

Trudie: 1:09:53

Thank you for tuning in to the Everyday Warriors podcast. If you have an idea for a future episode or a story you'd like to share yourself, then please reach out and message me, as I am always up for real, raw and authentic conversations with other Everyday Warriors. Also, be sure to subscribe so that you can download all the latest episodes as they are published and spread the word to your family and friends and colleagues so they can listen in too. If you're sharing on social media, please be sure to tag me so that I can personally acknowledge you. I'm always open to comment about how these episodes have resonated with you, the listener. And remember lead with love as you live this one wild and precious life.