Welcome to RESILIENT PEOPLE
INSPIRING STORIES OF RESILIENCE
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RESILIENT PEOPLE Stories
Losing his home to a fire didn't stop this Toronto man from dancing
I met John while Christmas shopping at the mall. It was in a pop-up lounge where I was taking a break with a cup of coffee and about to check my Instagram feed.
An empty chair was beside me and he asked if he could take the seat. He was dressed in dark clothing with fun bright blue socks and his silver hair loosely brushed back.
“Isn’t it wonderful that they offer this?” he said as he pointed to the gift-wrapping station. “I’m not much for gift wrapping but I love shopping for my grandchildren.”
He spoke a lot about his daughter and her young children, and a grandson who was considering a football scholarship to a prestigious Canadian university.
“All of my family attended Queen’s University,” which was a big coincidence since that too was my alma mater. I remember him saying that forty some-odd of his ancestors attended there, where I was the only one from mine.
From talking about family to work, John and I spoke for quite a while.
He told me that he’s ‘a lawyer by day, and dancer by night’. I asked him coyly, “What type of a dancer are you?” and he said enthusiastically, “Latin”.
“I was doing a lot of work in the mining industry in Costa Rica and other Latin American countries and really took to the dancing,” he said. “So I learned how to dance and now compete.”
John also told me that he was living at his daughter’s house for a period of time, because his house on Toronto’s lakeshore burned down and he was in the process of rebuilding.
“I had just left an hour before to go to a dance competition and got a call that my house was on fire.”
There was speculation that it was caused by a lit cigarette butt getting blown into one of his planters from a neighbour's balcony and sparking the fertilizer in the soil. On the same phone where he proudly showed me photos of his grandson, he also showed me a photo of a beautiful white building engulfed in flames.
I asked him what its like to watch your house burn down.
As if he was talking to the fire, he said, “I looked at it and thought, you’ll take a few days from me and that’s it.”
While he lay in bed at his daughter’s house, he thought of what he lost in the fire and found a way to get closure.
“I said to the shoes I used to wear, you’re now going to shoe heaven where no one will ever walk on you again.”
And to his vast collection of prized art and paintings, he said to them, “Goodbye to the little people who lived inside the vignettes on the canvas. You can now leave and walk freely.”
To John, this was ‘bookending’.
Another step to closure had him host a party to say goodbye to his home. At the generosity of a friend with a penthouse apartment he did just that, which even included inviting the firefighters who tried to save his house.
And as John looks forward to this summer he’ll be dancing to a new song as he moves into his new home. Hopefully hosting another fabulous party.
Photo courtesy of John Yates
From the Olympics to business, Martha Henderson takes little steps to achieve big goals
Martha Henderson represented Canada with her sailing team at the 2008 Summer Olympic games in Beijing.
We met in Toronto’s Bloor West Village neighbourhood at a lively café to talk about her Olympic journey, becoming an entrepreneur and how resilience played a part in both journeys.
She started her story by telling me that she sailed at a high level for much of her life. Being introduced to the sport by her father who is a two-time Olympian in sailing, you might say that its in her blood.
She began sailing at age six and racing at nine.
When some considered her to be “too old” for competition, Martha was in her 30s when she assembled a team that would train to qualify for the 2008 Beijing games.
Recognizing her seniority, Martha recalls, “I was a good 8 to 10 years older than some of my teammates. This didn’t affect our rapport, because we had the same goal, but I did go to bed a lot earlier.”
Assembling a team is not a simple feat. In Martha’s case, she was also working as a consultant but treated her burgeoning team like a small business.
The sailing component was just a small part of the operation.
“There was fundraising, marketing, recruiting team members, shipping the boat to competitions, renting cars in foreign countries and building the right team with the right personalities that would fit together.”
At 40 years of age and in a career highlight, Martha and her team finished 13th at the Olympics, which should have put the naysayers who told her that she was too old to shame.
She now runs a business called, Rising Tides. Her vision is to inspire men and women to be better everyday through health and wellness, public speaking engagements and experiential travel.
What she learned in and out of the water is true to the old saying, “a rising tide lifts all boats.”
She is taking her leadership expertise and doing for her clients what she did for her sailing team. Proving that the steps you make everyday will help you achieve your goals.
Learn more about Rising Tides
Olympic dreams. Martha Henderson models her ring from the Beijing Olympic games.
Luciana delivers service with a smile as a NYC housekeeper
On a New York morning in May, I left my hotel room and headed down the hallway towards the elevator.
I was greeted by a voice coming from another guest room. “Good morning” came to me in a sing-song kind of a way from the housekeeper.
She was dressed in a black and white uniform with her auburn-coloured hair pulled back in a bun. Her name tag had Luciana stamped on it in cursive.
During my stay, I saw her a few more times as we exchanged pleasantries.
On each of our encounters, she was either vacuuming a room, stepping out of a guest room or in the supplies closet at the end of the hall.
That’s where we began our conversation. With the door wide open, something peeked my interest to move in closer.
“I really like the artwork on the walls here,” I said. The windowless room was roughly four by five feet as she invited me to step inside.
With a wide grin she said, “These are my angels. I love them so much.” Plaques and photos of them were everywhere.
Luciana told me that thirty years ago she moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic.
She was divorced with two young children and living on welfare in New York. Back home she was a journalist.
I asked her what it was like to leave that behind and move to the US.
“Spanish women are used to a man making things happen but it was all on me,” she said. “I had no one to push for me so I pushed for myself – and when you live in New York, the city pushes you.”
She found a job working in housekeeping for a popular hotel and has stayed there for over 20 years.
She greets all guests in the same friendly way as she did for me.
“I like to make people happy and comfortable,” she said. But sometimes that friendliness isn't always reciprocated by the guests.
Looking me straight in the eyes, she says, “Guests treat housekeepers like they are invisible, but we see a lot.”
I was greeted by a voice coming from another guest room. “Good morning” came to me in a sing-song kind of a way from the housekeeper.
She was dressed in a black and white uniform with her auburn-coloured hair pulled back in a bun. Her name tag had Luciana stamped on it in cursive.
During my stay, I saw her a few more times as we exchanged pleasantries.
On each of our encounters, she was either vacuuming a room, stepping out of a guest room or in the supplies closet at the end of the hall.
That’s where we began our conversation. With the door wide open, something peeked my interest to move in closer.
“I really like the artwork on the walls here,” I said. The windowless room was roughly four by five feet as she invited me to step inside.
With a wide grin she said, “These are my angels. I love them so much.” Plaques and photos of them were everywhere.
Luciana told me that thirty years ago she moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic.
She was divorced with two young children and living on welfare in New York. Back home she was a journalist.
I asked her what it was like to leave that behind and move to the US.
“Spanish women are used to a man making things happen but it was all on me,” she said. “I had no one to push for me so I pushed for myself – and when you live in New York, the city pushes you.”
She found a job working in housekeeping for a popular hotel and has stayed there for over 20 years.
She greets all guests in the same friendly way as she did for me.
“I like to make people happy and comfortable,” she said. But sometimes that friendliness isn't always reciprocated by the guests.
Looking me straight in the eyes, she says, “Guests treat housekeepers like they are invisible, but we see a lot.”
Lina Miranda is really living the good life
When I met Lina Miranda for an early morning coffee, she had just finished teaching a fitness class. While I was just rolling out of bed, she was already leading a group of workout devotees.
For the last seven years she has been a trainer and instructor at GoodLife, Canada’s largest chain of fitness clubs and gyms. She is also a spokesperson for Reebok’s #expressyourstrong campaign.
Her years committed to healthy living have paid off as she is in phenomenal shape. But her story doesn’t start there.
“I was living the life of a very typical 21 year old,” she said. “And then I got seriously ill.”
Lina was attending university, working part-time as a waitress, dating and what she described as “having a lot of fun.”
She was experiencing severe pain in her abdomen that was diagnosed at different medical assessments as heartburn, an ulcer, and Hepatitis C. There was even a question of her being a drug user, which could not have been further from the case.
A very large tumour was growing inside of her stomach. At the time she was given a 20% chance of surviving past five years.
She had surgery to remove the tumour as well as 6 months of radiation and chemotherapy treatment. At the start of her treatment she was a healthy 130 pounds and dropped to 90 pounds at the end.
Now at 39 years old, Lina says that, “It was the best thing that ever happened to me.” By getting sick, she was able to turn her attention to getting well and focussed on helping others to do the same.
She listed for me all of the things that her passion has done for her.
“Fitness keeps me sane, it makes me feel physically well, and I feel like a better person.”
She begins to cry when I ask her if she has shared her personal story with her classes.
“I have built such a sense of community with my members along with amazing friendships and bonds,” she says as she’s drying her tears.
From her scary experience, Lina wants people to learn from their own, understand that even though you can’t control some of the things that happen in your life, you can control the way you look at them.
To learn more about Lina Miranda. She has also published a book titled, DNA Moments
photo courtesy of Lina Miranda
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From caregiver to patient to holistic health practitioner, Margaret Ng inspires others Margaret Ng and her father share something in common. Brain tumours. I met Margaret at the annual Brain Tumour Foundation conference in Toronto. She had just delivered a keynote address that stunned the audience. read Margaret's story here |
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Her worst nightmare has Mona Lam-Deslippe learning to move forward Mona Lam-Deslippe has experienced every mother’s nightmare. In 2016, her son Nathan was brutally beaten to death by his long-time friend, William Joles. Nathan Deslippe was 27 years old. read the full story |
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Following a cycling collision, Margaret Harvey established Canadian Trauma Support Network Margaret Harvey loves riding her bike through the streets of Toronto. Back in 2012, she was riding to work and stopped at a busy intersection in the downtown core. A garbage truck turned in-front of her, knocked her to the ground and ran her over with its back wheels. read the full story |
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Toronto teen with autism, Niam Jain, takes art world by storm Niam Jain is a typical 15 year-old teen from Toronto. He loves video games, pizza and idolizes his hometown music hero, Drake. He is also a world-renowned artist living with Autism. read the full story |
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A tragic boating accident saw Phung Nguyen build a village in the Philippines The first time I met Phung Nguyen he modestly said, “I don’t consider myself a resilient person. When I heard the story of how he helped build a village for refugees in the Philippines, I couldn’t disagree with him more. read the full story |
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ORT schools helped Jewish students build a future in trades and STEM fields A group of World ORT alumni gathered at the Toronto home of Pablo Reich for the first time. From Argentina to Israel, Uruguay to Canada, they came together to reunite as graduates of ORT schools. read the full story |
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Happy Soul Project builds a worldwide community for parents of children with Down Syndrome Tara McCallan is the founder of The Happy Soul Project. When she was was pregnant, she was like many expectant mothers today. She regularly posted photos about her pregnancy to social media, eagerly anticipating the birth of her baby. They would name her Reid, but call her by her nickname, Pip. read more |
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Jana Girdauskas started The Period Purse to provide menstrual products to homeless shelters Jana Girdauskas is a teacher, a mother and the creator of a successful non-for-profit group called, The Period Purse. She provides a solution to the challenges that the homeless face, when they get their period. read more |
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After losing her husband to AIDS, Susan Mintz has become an outspoken advocate Susan Mintz has led a life that seems like a Hollywood movie. She fell in love with her best friend, got pregnant, married and miscarried their only child. Later she discovered that her husband was homosexual with multiple partners, and ultimately died of AIDS. read more about Susan |
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Elly Gotz shares his path to happiness following the Holocaust When I meet Elly Gotz at a café close to his home, it doesn’t take long for him to tell me a joke. “A priest, a minister and a rabbi discuss when life begins.” It’s a joke from a bygone era but it immediately sets the tone for our chat. read more about Elly Gotz |
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Ottawa cabbie Sultan talks about sacrifice for his family To provide for his family he will continue driving his cab and making the 20-hour trip back to Dubai twice a year to do construction work. “It’s very hard being so far away,” he said while nodding his head. read the full story here |
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Britney Colussi is fundraising in the name of her cousin The campaign, LivingstrongMD was created by Britney Colussi in honour of her cousin Mikey. Both are 24 years old and have been close their entire lives. Mikey has spent his life in and out of hospitals. He was born with serious heart defects, Down syndrome, and has experienced severe seizures, which have caused his condition to worsen over time. read more |
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Alana Salsberg writes on the emotional ride of motherhood Yesterday, I left my Hannah Bea far away to be an adult in a different province again. Too far away to draw on her back when she can't sleep, give her hugs when she needs her daily dose and cook for her when she is too lazy. All normal mom things that I engaged in for the vast majority of my own adult life. read more |
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Jason Fiorotto and The Tory Day Fund are bringing comfort to cancer patients The Tory Day Fund was created by Jason Fiorotto to raise money to bring comfort to cancer patients at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Years ago he was assigned to be Tory’s “Buddy” when she arrived as a new hire at his workplace. On her first day, he was to take her on a tour, answer any questions she may have, and just be a buddy. read the full story here |
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Leanne Townsend aims to empower women affected by divorce or domestic abuse “Finding the right therapist turned my life around,” she says. “I started to believe in myself again and this made me want to help others rediscover who they are and empower themselves.” Being a family lawyer, Leanne Townsend is a coach by nature, and she realized that having this as a professional skill could help her clients as well. read more |
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Emmanuel Lopez and Motivatorman use Hollywood cinema for beating depression “I connected to this fictional character who was trying to break out of his loop,” says Emmanuel Lopez. This was the moment where he connected the power of cinema to helping his condition and transforming his mind. read Emmanuel's full story here |
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Cindy Barkway is taking the impact of 9/11 and helping other victims Meet Cindy Barkway. On September 10, 2001 she was in New York City with her husband for a getaway weekend. Dave was there for work, and at five months pregnant, Cindy accompanied him. read the full story here |
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Lucinda Grange aims to encourage people to live without boundaries When it comes to interesting hobbies, Lucinda Grange has no limits. It’s been called stunt climbing, thrill seeking and urban exploring. We met at a popular New York City spot called, The Adventure Café. A cute little place in the East Village, perfectly named for our talk. “We’re all confined by barriers,” she says. “I’m going outside of the box turning the urban jungle into my jungle.” read more |
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Alexandra Samuels uses blogging to show her resilience A blog on her personal writings helps Alexandra Samuels inspire others. She is a 26 year-old woman who loves to perform. From the time that she was a little girl holding a turkey baster for a microphone, she has loved the applause of the audience. For most of her young life, Alexandra was bullied and alone. read more |
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Anastastia Belbas shares her 103 year old wisdom on life At 103 years old, Anastasia Belbas continues others to learn and live. She was born in Ukraine during World War I. When she was twelve, she moved to Canada with her mother and three younger siblings. She still remembers the harrowing boat ride over the Atlantic Ocean. read Anastasia's story here |