American Achievers

Keith Dunnavant•americanachievers.podbean.com

AMERICAN ACHIEVERS explores the power of ambition, commitment to excellence, risk-taking and tenacity in pursuit of the American Dream. Hosted and produced by author, documentary filmmaker, and media trailblazer Keith Dunnavant, who has been interviewing newsmakers for more than four decades, including many years as an award-winning print journalist in New York and Atlanta. Widely acclaimed for his sports and general history books, including THE MISSING RING, SPY PILOT and MONTANA, Dunnavant directed the ESPN Films documentary BART STARR and the syndicated independent film THREE DAYS AT FOSTER. With each episode of AMERICAN ACHIEVERS, he explores the life of an accomplished individual who has relentlessly chased success and fulfillment, often battling through significant adversity and reflecting universal lessons that strike at the heart of the American experience. Featuring entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, astronauts, media figures and civic leaders. KeithDunnavant.com

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Episodes

Season 1, Episode 7: Sister Schubert

One-time flight attendant Sister Schubert talks about the church food fair that changed her life, the risks she took to follow her dream, the promise she made to God, and the lessons she learned in creating an iconic frozen foods brand.

Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 7

Season 1, Episode 6: Dick Vitale

In an interview taped before his recent battle with cancer and a throat condition that has sidelined him for the rest of the 2022 season, ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale talks about the childhood trauma that profoundly affected his self-image, the obsession with winning that colored his meteoric rise as a coach, and the humbling failure that opened the door to his future.

Feb 07, 2022•56 min•Ep. 5

Season 1, Episode 5: Stacia Fernandez

Stage actress Stacia Fernandez talks about the moment of rejection that became the catalyst to her career on Broadway and with big national tours, the rush she gets when she steps into the spotlight, how it feels to inhabit a character, and the challenges of aging in public.

Jan 31, 2022•46 min•Ep. 6

Season 1, Episode 4: Jan Scruggs

Jan Scruggs talks about the day he thought he was going to die in a Vietnamese jungle, struggling with the war's lingering effects, a memorable night at the movies, and the battle he led against powerful and entrenched forces to create the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Jan 24, 2022•42 min•Ep. 4

Season 1, Episode 3: Jerry LeVias

Former SMU and Houston Oilers receiver Jerry LeVias talks about the struggle of becoming the first scholarship African-American football player in the old Southwest Conference, the advice Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave him, the enduring influence of his parents, and the triumphant moment that still haunts him.

Jan 17, 2022•55 min•Ep. 3

Season 1, Episode 2: Bonne Bedingfield

Cake artist Bonne Bedingfield, a 2021 competitor on Food Network's HALLOWEEN WARS, talks about accidentally discovering her passion, the delicate process of creating a work of art that tastes as good as it looks, the importance of staying on the right path, and the motivating power of fear.

Jan 09, 2022•44 min•Ep. 2

Season 1, Episode 1: Jim Lovell

Astronaut Jim Lovell, one of the first three humans to orbit the moon, talks about his difficult childhood, failing his first NASA physical, and what he learned from the aborted Apollo 13 mission, which became an object lesson in overcoming adversity, turning him into an American folk hero immortalized by Tom Hanks.

Oct 25, 2021•38 min•Ep. 1

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