Hey, kids! Did you know there are grown ups who are just as obsessed with Disney as you? There's an adult out there who has full-sleeve tattoos of Disney characters, another who’s spent tens of thousands of dollars on merch, and one guy even set a world record for visiting Disneyland for almost 3,000 days in a row! Those are just some of the Disney adults you’ll meet on today’s show. This episode originally aired on May 4, 2023. GUESTS: Eric Aasen : Executive editor at Connecticut Public Abby Br...
Jun 27, 2025•49 min
Remember how fun roller skating was as a kid? Well, the adults you’ll meet this hour are still having a good time on roller skates, but they take that fun to the next level! Takina Pollack Shafer brings pop-up skating events to her hometown of Bridgeport, CT , where she creates space for people of all stripes to forget their worries and experience the joy of roller skating. It’s a pop-up with a purpose. You'll also meet the 2024 Men’s National Jam Skating Champion, LeRoy Mcsmith , and the design...
Jun 20, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 215
It was part birthday party, part storytelling spectacle, and 100% Audacious! We threw a live Show & Tell at Dead Language Beer Project in Hartford, and invited public radio fans to bring an object they love, and the story that makes it matter. From a PEZ dispenser with family ties, to a holy (literally) beer mug, to walnut shell art that has mesmerized a family for generations, the night was full of big laughs, tiny treasures, and extraordinary moments. Suggested episodes: Audacious Live! Sh...
Jun 13, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 214
To celebrate five years of Audacious, we reconnect with a few unforgettable guests. Ari Cobb, now 13, reflects on how his relationship with stuttering has evolved since we first met him at age 8. Toby Dorr shares how the death of her former partner, whom she once broke out of prison, reshaped her purpose. Jeffrey Marsh returns with powerful insights on self-acceptance. And we meet Hannah Joyner, wife of Dr. David Meyers, who joined us before his death from glioblastoma. It’s a heartfelt look bac...
Jun 06, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 213
You know how sometimes you look outside, see a bird, and think, “Oh, hey! A cardinal! A blue jay! A robin!“ Happens all the time. Now imagine what your life would be like if you traveled the world as part of a lifelong quest to become the first person to see 10,000 bird species. Get to know Peter Kaestner. He shares the surprising story of how he came excruciatingly close to missing that once-in-a-lifetime shot. And find out why he believes there are a million ways to be a birder. This episode o...
May 30, 2025•49 min
When you hear “philanthropy,” you might think of millionaires, black-tie galas, or buildings named after donors. But what if you could be a philanthropist without being wealthy? In this episode, you’ll meet people who donate small amounts to hundreds of places, hand out cash on city streets, and send money directly to people in poverty, no strings attached. Explore the power of small, consistent giving, and how even modest acts of generosity can spark massive ripple effects. Suggested episodes: ...
May 23, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 212
Some rituals are spiritual. Some are silly. Some are inherited, and some are self-made. Casper ter Kuile, author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices , walks us through how we create all sorts of meaningful, grounding rituals. And you'll hear clips from past two years of Audacious guests who have shared the rituals that matter most to them, from morning journaling and bedtime affirmations to pre-show sign-slapping. Whether you've already got your rituals dow...
May 16, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 211
What if it wasn’t spiders, heights, or flying… but grass, buttons, or your own reflection that made your hands clammy and your heart race? Meet Bettina, a romantic comedy author who avoids lawns at all costs; Marcos, who dreads reflections and shaves in the shower to escape the mirror; and Mark, who hasn’t worn a shirt with buttons since he was a kid. Connecticut psychologist Dr. David Tolin helps us understand how these fears develop, how they affect daily life, and why some people choose to co...
May 09, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 210
Meet people whose lives were upended by fire - and transformed by resilience. From the recent Los Angeles fires, we hear from Casey Colvin, who searched for days to find his beloved dog, Oreo, and 10-year-old Grayson Roberts, who lost his home, his Braille materials, and his drum kits - but not his spirit. We also talk to RoseMarie Wallace, who reflects on how losing everything made her stronger, and Leslie Wharton, who shares what 13 years of rebuilding and reflection have taught her after losi...
May 02, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 209
Before a sitcom rolls tape, someone has to turn a roomful of strangers into a laughing, clapping, totally-on-board studio audience. That someone? A warm-up comedian. Meet Mark Sweet, who’s spent nearly 40 years getting audiences hyped for shows like Cheers , Roseanne , and The Big Bang Theory . And Joyelle Nicole Johnson shares how warming up the crowd for Patriot Act was a part of what led her to a huge stand-up career. It’s part comedy, part crowd control, part emotional thermostat, and it mig...
Apr 25, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 208
UPDATE: This episode originally aired June 28, 2024. Since its airing, Chion Wolf and the Audacious team were awarded a Gracie Award in the Portrait/Biography category for this episode. "The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. They also acknowledge the individuals who have made inspirational contributions to the industry." Growing up, Pidgeon Pagonis was told a lot about their medical history: They we...
Apr 18, 2025•49 min
What do you regret? Explore the human experience of looking back with Daniel H. Pink, author of The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. Poet David Whyte offers his take on regret, drawing from Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words. We’ll also reconnect with “Tracy” from Maryland and Stormi Huhn (“Anna” from Iowa), four years after sharing their stories of parental regret. Plus, Audacious listeners reflect on their own regrets - big, sm...
Apr 11, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 207
Forget the typical meet-cute; this episode features individuals whose paths crossed in extraordinarily unique circumstances. Alex and Sue Tatham met each other on the globally televised dating show "Blind Date" in the UK, leading to a wedding watched by millions. Heather and Tony are Disney enthusiasts who found love across continents thanks to a dating site for fellow fans, MouseMingle.com And after three years of chatting online, Robbie Romu and Avichai Sofer finally met… Only to have their re...
Apr 04, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 206
Explore the extraordinary impact of horses on our lives. From the unique community of Pony Play and the athleticism of hobby-horsing to the therapeutic power of horses, and a neuroscientist's exploration of life after death, this episode dives deep into how horses shape our lives. Suggested episodes: We The Dog Wings, pouches, and snouts: The world of uncommon emotional support animals Animal psychics reveal what our pets really think Snakes in their mouths and venom in their veins: Why two snak...
Mar 28, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 205
Technology is rapidly reshaping the world, but for people with disabilities, it’s doing something even more profound - it’s redefining what’s possible. Explore how cutting-edge assistive technologies are breaking barriers, restoring independence, and revolutionizing the way people navigate the world. Sam Seavey, creator of “The Blind Life” YouTube channel, shares how AI-powered tools are game-changers for people with vision impairments. And former stuntman Jonathan Goodwin introduces Kim-e, a se...
Mar 21, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 204
What makes your jaw drop? A celestial event? A powerful piece of music? In this episode, explore awe in its many forms, from a total solar eclipse to the psychology of wonder. Psychologist Dacher Keltner breaks down the science of awe, cellist Yumi Kendall shares how music transports us, and Audacious listeners share their most treasured moments of awe. GUESTS: Mara Suttmann-Lea, Joseph Dickerson, and Stefan Keller: Awestruck with Chion in Vermont during the April 8, 2024 total eclipse Dacher Ke...
Mar 14, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 203
Imagine feeling an unbearable itch, convinced that tiny insects are crawling under your skin. But no doctor believes you. You try to prove it, collecting samples, documenting everything. But under a microscope? Nothing is there. That was Paula Cox’s experience with delusional infestation, a rare disorder where people are absolutely certain they’re infested with bugs, despite all evidence to the contrary. In this episode, Paula shares her harrowing experience, and experts - a leading entomologist...
Mar 07, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 202
What’s it like to live in the shadow of legends and still shine? Meet Marshall Charloff, a Prince tribute artist with a personal connection to the artist himself. And Rick Torres, an Elvis impersonator whose two decades as the King has brought him to some surprising places. From the joy and empowerment of embodying their heroes to navigating the challenges of the work, they discuss the artistry behind keeping music royalty alive. Suggested episodes: Actors Mary Elizabeth Kelly and Dean Edwards o...
Feb 28, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 201
In 2022, Just Stop Oil protestors threw tomato soup on a Van Gogh painting in London. The world collectively gasped, but some UK lawmakers responded by supporting fewer investments in new oil projects. On this episode, meet one of those soup-throwers, and hear from two other people who have been part of creative protests: a spokesperson from an anti-circumcision group that wears all white with giant, red splotches on the groin area; and a woman who organized a college campus protest featuring th...
Feb 21, 2025•49 min
What drives someone to ski solo across Antarctica or leap off cliffs in a wingsuit? Meet Liv Arnesen, the first woman to ski alone and unsupported to the South Pole, and Ellen Brennan Frat, the ‘Fastest Flying Woman in the World.’ From battling -30°F winds to soaring at 100 mph, these women share their extraordinary journeys of courage, resilience, and pushing boundaries. Suggested episodes: Below the surface: The stories behind underwater world records What solitude does to you in the wildernes...
Feb 14, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 200
Ever had someone finish your sentence before you even opened your mouth? Now imagine they knew what you were going to say before you did. That’s what it’s like to experience Dr. Kruti Parekh in action. Through a mix of psychology, intuition, and age-old wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita and Vedic traditions, Dr. Parekh believes we all have the potential to tap into this power. No magic wands, no crystal balls, just a deeper connection to the intuition you already have. Ready to see what your mind is...
Feb 07, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 199
What can you gain when you lose your vision? Christine Ha was in her early 20s when she began losing her sight. Instead of giving up on her dreams, she taught herself how to cook - so well, in fact, that she became the first and only person who is blind to win MasterChef . Now, she’s a celebrated chef and author who’s proving that great cooking is about taste, texture, and trust - not sight. And Edward Hirsch, a poet who began losing his sight later in life, discovered something unexpected - exh...
Jan 31, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 198
We just aired an episode about blindness featuring the poet Edward Hirsch, and chef, Christine Ha. If you're a fan of Gordon Ramsay's cooking competition show, MasterChef, then you know exactly who Christine Ha is. But if you don't, she's the first - and only - person with blindness to win it! Now you'll hear so much more of our conversation in our podcast feed, but there was this one little bonus section that we wanted to share with you. It features one-of-a-kind questions from Chion's friend, ...
Jan 31, 2025•5 min
It all began with a single Reddit post: A Connecticut man, overwhelmed and uncertain, sought advice about what to expect as a first-time, non-violent offender facing prison. He invited us to chronicle his life before, during, and after incarceration, pulling back the curtain on a world most of us only glimpse in movies or headlines. Discover how his expectations clashed with reality in ways he never anticipated, and how his experience offers an unflinching look into the unexpected truths of life...
Jan 24, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Delve into the extraordinary lives of two men whose worlds are centered on venomous snakes. Jackie Bibby, a record-setting daredevil, set multiple world records, including the astonishing feat of holding 13 live rattlesnakes in his mouth. And Tim Friede has spent nearly two decades intentionally subjecting himself to hundreds of bites from some of the planet's most lethal snakes, all in the pursuit of creating a universal antivenom. Suggested episodes: Scars To Prove It: Living Through Animal At...
Jan 17, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 196
For the past two years, at the end of every interview, I asked every guest to tell me their favorite piece of life advice. We took dozens of our favorite clips and brought them together in this very special episode. And we also hear from Connecticut Public employees! Email your favorite piece of advice: Audacious@ctpublic.org For a full transcript of this episode, click here . Suggested episode: Views from the end: David Meyers GUESTS (in order of appearance): First segment: Paul Gladis, AJ Wolf...
Jan 10, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 195
On past episodes of our Audacious Love series, we’ve talked with people who’ve been married for over 50 years, people who’ve fallen in love with synthetic companions, people who’ve fallen in love with objects, and today, you’ll meet four people who are married to spirits, ancestors, or gods. Listen to our past Audacious Love episodes: Married Over 50 Years: “Love Each Other Even When You Don’t” It’s not just a sex doll! What it’s like to be in a relationship with a synthetic partner Falling in l...
Jan 03, 2025•49 min
We hear a lot about the harm of social media. But what about the good? Meet two artists who started off on social media by showing their artwork… But once they revealed the hope and kindness and positivity in their hearts? The views, shares and likes piled up in ways they never expected. Hear how they both are grappling with the newfound pressure of inspiring hundreds of thousands of fans, and find out what Chion's favorite clips from their channels reveal about her. Listen to the first installm...
Dec 27, 2024•49 min
Family secrets are often kept to protect, but hiding the truth can sometimes cause more harm than good. When Michael Hainey’s father died, the explanation he was given never quite added up. Decades later, uncovering the real story changed his life, and inspired him to write a memoir. Melissa Daniels faced a different kind of revelation: the man she thought was her father wasn’t her biological dad. Her determination to uncover the truth became unstoppable. Hear their powerful stories of discovery...
Dec 20, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 194
Imagine waking up one morning and seeing every face around you as demonic - twisted, distorted, and unrecognizable. Are you hallucinating? Would you think people were possessed? Should you call 911? Now, what if it’s not demons you’re seeing, but constantly shifting facial features on everyone, including yourself? And what if this has been your reality since birth? Meet two people living with this rare and perplexing condition, prosopometamorphopsia (PMO), and a researcher dedicated to understan...
Dec 13, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 193
