WHOA That's Good Podcast - How to Overcome Haters & Put Yourself Out There

Episode Date: August 18, 2021

Paralympic athlete Dee Kisser joins Sadie to share the trials she faced on her journey to the Paralympic Games and how she learned to trust in God’s timing. Sadie and Dee also discuss how disappointment is often a learning moment and that God doesn’t make accidents, so YOU are NOT an accident but a child of God with a purpose! Dee also talks about some of the struggles she’s faced with dwarfism and why stepping out of her comfort zone is what ultimately began to heal her. - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's up, well that's good fan, welcome back to the WoW That's Good Podcast. I am so excited today. It's a very special day because it's the first time that I have an LO sister ambassador on the podcast. She is incredible. Follow her on Instagram, but also I just like to deep dive and watch all of her YouTube videos. She's incredible.

Her name is Dee Kisser and she is actually in Tokyo. Are you in Tokyo right now? Heading to Tokyo. I'm heading to Tokyo. We're gonna get to that in a minute as to why she's there, but it is actually for what you're thinking. We're pumped to get to talk to her and welcome to the podcast. Dee.

Hey, thank you for having me and I look forward to this. It'll be awesome. Yes, it is going to be so awesome. So I have to ask you the question that I ask everyone who's on the words good podcast. What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given? Duh, duh, duh. Well, the best piece of advice I would have to say has come from my mom. She's very great, very cool. Mom's always gives some good wisdom and in 2015 I was training for the Rio Paralympic team and I wasn't in the greatest place. I everything I did was about swimming. I ate swimming, I drank swimming, I did everything just to get myself on that team and I was not mentally healthy at all.

And so there was a practice I came back from and I was crying, I was not happy with it. And my mom sat me down and she said, D, who are you swimming for? And I honestly didn't have an answer and I was like, I don't know mom, what type of question is that? And she said, well, if you're not swimming for anybody but God, you need to stop right now. Well, I was like, I don't want to stop. Well, this is what I want to do. I invested my whole life in this.

I don't know what you mean. And she said, OK, then, if this is what you want to do, you have to remember that you are Danielle, who is a child of God, who happens to swim. Well, so you are not Danielle, the swimmer. You are not Danielle, the little person. You're not Danielle, the friend. You're all that you happen to do all those things but for some foremost you are Danielle who is a child of God who happens to swim. Because like it says on the while that God is the same yesterday, today and forever and

for a lot of things like swimming is one day is great, one day is not so great and it's changing and so when our identity is in something that changes we're not going to be doing so well and that's that's kind of where I found myself at so my mom told me Danielle you are a child of God who happens to swim just to say to you are Sadie who is a child of God who happens to be doing a podcast today. Yeah oh that's so good come on come on mom with the good advice I. Well, I have so many questions I want to ask you honestly, even as you're talking, I'm like, you're such an inspiration, and we're going to get to all of it.

So I guess we'll start with because you mentioned it. You said I'm a little person, you have dwarfism, and that's a huge part of your story. You are very open with that. And so tell us a little bit about your story, about your life. Yeah, so I have a form of dwarfism called a counterplasia. I'm not going to spell it.

Don't worry, you don't need to rent that down. I cannot spell that. Yeah, don't worry about it. Free pass this time. But I am the only little person in my family. And so my type of dwarfism affects about one in 25,000 people. And when I was born, my parents didn't know that I was a little person until I was about eight months old. And so for them, it was this crazy new thing about, okay, how do we raise a child

with a physical difference? What is it going to be like? Is she going to be okay? Is she going to be bullied? Can she do all these sports and what not? And I was really blessed with parents who just let me try things. They let me do what I wanted. They let me, why not do what I wanted? There's some boundaries in that thing. I got to do things. My friends are doing, and they didn't let me use my disability as an excuse to not try. And honestly, that equipped me for being able to do the things I'm doing today. And I think something, having a physical difference

like this, I'm walking down the street, you're gonna notice me because I'm small. You don't see a little person every day. And I think it's one of those things that God has allowed me to have as a conversation starter for people because I just can't cover this up. Like I can't throw on a jacket and pretend I don't have to work as in like, you can't hide this.

And so it's been really interesting just the conversations I can have just based on what I look like and people are curious and curiosity is a great way to open up conversations. Right. That's so good. I wrote down a quote that you said in one of your videos that I watched that I thought was really powerful and I want you to share a little about the backstory to this. But you said this day in particular whenever you kind of realized that

you were different, you said I didn't only realize that I was different, but it was that day that I realized that my life had meaning. And I thought that was such a beautiful way to put it. What did that look like for you? Yeah, so I um growing up I was never bullied in school. I was really fortunate that I had a great upbringing and so I didn't know that the darker side of being physically different until I got older. And there was a lot of times where it would just be really hard. Like you're walking down the street and people would just yell all these things that I'm not going to repeat on here. And there's not great things to hear and they could really damage a person. And I realized that, you know, God doesn't mean mistakes.

And he makes everyone for a purpose, whether we find out that purpose or not, like until we get to heaven, like who knows, but I just strongly believe that I'm not an accident and that God has a purpose for why he's made me this way. And I think that when people buy into that and as I've worked at learning that and taking that on as my own, it's helped me to see that, you know, my life does matter. Your life matters. Everyone's life matters. It's just going to look different, but that doesn't mean that you can't use it. Yeah, that's so good. You know, it's like super inspiring about you and the things that you say is it's like, you know, you happen to have dwarfism. And yeah, you have these revelations of that. You know what, this is how God made me.

And if God made me this way, then I have meaning. And I believe that and I trust that. And that message is something that every single person has to hear. That message is something that every single person, whether they have dwarfism, whether they have a different kind of disability, or they have a different kind of, whatever it is. So you have a different color skin or whatever they have that they're uncomfortable with. Or even if they look like the normal person, which what even is normal, you know, everybody

has to come to that realization that, you know what, I got to rock what I got. Because this is how it got made me and I don't know why and you could spend all day questioning that. Or you can just say, I'm going to use it. And you've certainly used it and it seems like you have a great mom behind you who's been encouraging you to use it. And so do I. There's so many times in my life where I didn't want to use the abilities that I gave

me because they scared me. And my mom would be like, that is like you, which I had behind me. You are the original. You are in a original, that's how I made you use it. You posted on Instagram, you said, your life's greatest story is the one you're willing to write, while not erasing out the disappointments. And I love that because you talked about that and one of the things that I talked about,

it's like, it's not like you have to erase all the things that are disappointing, it's not like if to take away all these things like right where you are, who you are, is what you know God can use. For your life like obviously you've had setbacks in different ways. What are some of those like what does have some of those times with like where you've had physical setbacks that you've had to walk through or walk out in order to swim in order to do the things that you want to do. How did you get through those things? Yeah, so we kind of touched on it a little bit, but I am currently heading to the Paralympic Games, which is going to be super exciting.

It's very exciting. It's so casual about it, but that is so cool. That is amazing. Yeah, honestly, if I get too much into it, I get a little emotional because this has been a dream of mine since I started swimming 13 years ago and God miraculously opened up a door this year for it to happen, like in the middle of a pandemic, it's definitely God showing off. And so this is, I'm living this dream, but yeah, like what you said, I've had a lot of different

injuries that come with them having disabilities and having like, dwarfism, so I've had a couple major surgeries done over the last few years that have set me back in the pool. I've fallen a few times, so I've had a few concussions and anyone out there who's had a concussion, those things aren't great. And yeah, so I've just had like, just things that just keep coming up and it's kind of like I would get close to making a team, I'd get close to making it to Rio and then I wouldn't or I'd be having a really great training year and then I'd get injured and I'm like, God, what the heck?

Like I thought this was what you wanted me to be doing and I thought this is where you've put me. And time and time again, he tells me, he's like, D and I thought this is where you put me. And time and time again, he tells me he's like, do you know this is where I want you. I didn't say that it was going to be easy. I didn't say that I was going to just remove all these like little injuries here and there, but this is where I need you. And I think growing through that and learning all those things, and there's something, I don't know if you if you could relate to this, but there's only things you can learn when you face disappointments. There's specific things that I don't think anyone could ever learn unless they go through something hard. Yep. And I think that I've gone through a lot of hard things, and I'm sure a lot of people

listening right now have gone through some pretty difficult stuff, but you can't learn those things when everything's going well. And I think that when you choose to see those disappointments as opportunities, yes, they're difficult, but they're difficult in a sense that you're learning something that you would have never learned. This episode is brought to you by Likinta, by Windham. Wherever your work takes you, you know it's going to be a good time, because you're staying at Likinta by Windom. They have free breakfast, fully equipped gyms, and free high-speed Wi-Fi,

to help you take care of any last-minute business, or help keep you in the know on all things sports. Tonight, Likinta, tomorrow you triumph. Book your stay today at lq.com. It's very easy. That's so true. I've definitely seen that a lot of times in my life. And it's cool because I think a lot of people do put this expectation on God because God is good that things have to be good for God to be in them. And that's not true. Like God is your strength when you're weak. You know, he is good even when it's bad.

And that's why you cling to him, you run to him. And so it's really cool to hear you say that because clearly, like even if you watch any of your YouTubers, see, follow you on Instagram, might you've seen the setbacks, which you've also seen you grow through them. And I think that's so cool that you share your life because you're just a walking testimony of God's goodness. And I love that. You're a YouTube video. I mean, your YouTube

channel is called The Little Light, which I was thinking about that. And I understand, obviously you had The Little Light, but you are a big light. Like you shine so bright. You're literally representing your country right now in Canada for Canada And like that is just the coolest thing ever When you were little did you think like did you always want to swim or how did that happen? How did how did swimming become your thing? Yeah, that's a great question. So originally I told my parents I was like five years old I said mom I want to be in a show. I was I'm not shy in front of a camera. I'm trying to talk and so they're like okay we'll put you in ballet. Did not like ballet. Pink tutus not not my thing but I'm

gonna show. Not my thing. So I was in a show though and so I enjoyed that and then I found soccer and I played high school basketball. I played softball. I did competitive horseback riding. I did competitive horseback riding. I did like all the things my friends were doing and then it got to a point where my friends started getting taller. They started getting faster and I got left behind and I'm super competitive and so that was really frustrating because my body just was limiting me in what I could do. My desire to play was not limited, but I was just coming to the end of what I was physically capable of. And then swimming actually came along right at that

peak of my frustration. And I was swimming lengths with my dad. My dad taught me how to swim, which is kind of cool. And yeah, and my brother was in swim club at the time in his coach, knew about Paralympic swimming and he came up to me one day and he said, hey, like you should join swim club. There's this thing called Parasport. You could be really good. And me being 11, I was like, I could be pretty good. Okay, I want to try this. Yeah, and then a few months later, I joined swim club and then I learned to swim and now 13 years later, I get to swim on one of the biggest world stages And it's one of the most humbling coolest

Speechless moments. Yeah, I think I will ever be in and I don't get speeches often. It's that's that's quite That's awesome. Are you nervous? I'm a little nervous, yeah. I would say they're more excited because again, like when the coronavirus started, the whole Olympics and Paralympics, they got postponed. And so we weren't even sure if these games were going to happen. And so it was just a lot of training, a lot of like hoping, a lot of trusting God. And then when our trials actually did happen originally, I didn't make the team. I was the first alternate. And so there's a lot of emotion there

and trusting that God had a plan. So three weeks ago, I wasn't even on this team. And then, okay, back up. Tell us that. Tell us that story. Yeah, so because of the pandemic and stuff, Canada was unable to host an actual swim meet, so we had to do individual time trials. I performed better at racing, so not being able to raise people is a little challenging. So I didn't make it.

I was first alternate to the team. That was hard, because you feel like I felt God told me I was going to make it. I felt like this is where I'm supposed to be and okay, obviously not. Okay, just keep saying, okay, God, you're well-not-mine, you're well-not-mine, you're trying. And then a few weeks later, one of my teammates got injured and then I was told that in case this person couldn't go, then I would be stepping in in their place. And then I was told that in case this person couldn't go, then I would be stepping in in their place. And then seven days before we were supposed to leave for this staging camp that I met now, I found out that I was going to be going. And so really like three weeks ago, I wasn't on this team and then God just had this door open where he's like,

no, this is where I want you to go. You've learned your disappointments, you work through them, but now it's time to use what I've taught you. And now I get to really just showcase that on the biggest stage. And so I don't think I'm nervous. I think I'm more just excited to be there because this was 100% God. Right. I think I feel what you're saying

because for me, I get nervous every time before I speak, but I'm like excited about it. And I'm nervous because I care about it. And I like that used to be fear. At one point in my life, that was 100% fear. But once it started doing it really with the Lord and trusting him, it became like excited nervousness. And I kind of love that.

I love that I get nervous like you embrace that because I feel like it helps you do better and helps you like feel the moment because you're going to Tokyo. Like you're going to be like in the Olympics. Like yeah, you're going to be a little nervous but it's really exciting. Yeah.

That's, that's amazing. What does it feel like for you like with all the setbacks and even just like having you know how what are you 24 24 I am 24 or same age 24 years of you know overcoming being a dwarf but also being amazing and all those things has it feeling now to get this opportunity to represent your country and be there did you ever think that you get to do something like this? I think I have two answers for that. I think the D of six years ago, what has said, why am I not already on this team?

Why do I not already gotten here? And the D of today, this is a gift. Well, there's no other way to describe when when guy has brought you through the fire, brought you through the tough stuff and has just graciously giving you this opportunity that you've wanted that, I mean, we could say that like, oh, you're deserving,

you worked hard for this, but none of us are deserving of what we've been given. That this everything in life is a gift. My dwarfism is a gift, as hard as it is. Swimming is a gift, is challenging as it's been. And this genuinely just feels like a gift. And now, like God, my pastor actually told me this and he phrased it really well, but he said that,

you know, God takes pleasure just watching you swim. He doesn't care that like you're not're not first. I mean that's great, but he just takes pleasure watching you push the water aside. Like you're glorifying him in the pool and the lane that you've been given just as like when we're sending making videos or doing this podcast like we're glorifying God with our voices. And so that's what I'm just so pumped to do in Tokyo is stand up on the block glorify God and whatever end up doing the time. I mean, I hope I do well, but it's like it's already been one everything. So what do you think changed from you six years to go to now? From when the time you would have said, I should be there to the time that you say,

I'm grateful. Yeah, so actually going into Rio Trials, I grew up in church and I was following God, but it wasn't a personal relationship, necessarily for myself. And when I missed that team, I was devastated. And I had no idea, like I was shocked. And I remember coming home and I said,

okay, God, like if this is what you want me to be doing, I don't know what to do. And I just felt this incredible peace come over me. And I just felt like, you know, like even, even though I didn't get what I wanted, that God still had a plan for me and God wanted to use me in some way, had no idea what that was, but I just felt that there was more there.

And then the night I came home from Paralympic Trials, I got an email and acceptance letter into the university I'm at in Montreal. And so that's where I moved to and that's where that's where God opened the door for me to train at this high level. And so it just felt like there was just conformations after confirmation. And then I ended up giving my life to God and I got baptized before I moved away. And then it's just been a crazy little spiritual journey ever since. That's amazing. You know what? I think you're such a good example and a million things, but one is that

you know, you have this goal, you're really good at swimming, you have the talent, but you also have worked really hard to get where you're at. Like you didn't just wake up one day and you're going to Tokyo. Like you trained really hard. And I think a lot of people, especially our age and younger think that, oh well, if I have an idea and I feel it got to call me, then I should just get to Tokyo and I should just have the platform and that is not the case. It's gonna be nice.

That would be wonderful. It's like, oh thank you guys, you give me my purpose with the platform, you give me a purpose with the podium, you know, but that doesn't always happen. It doesn't really ever happen. Normally it's, you know, but that doesn't always happen. It doesn't really ever happen. Normally it's, you know, and a battle that you go through the fire, you have to train. And so that is a huge inspiration for, I think, a lot of people. I want you to talk about a little bit about what your training looks like. And because I do want people to understand that it's not

easy for the people that you see in the Olympics. it's not just because they're athletic, it's not just because they have, you know, they had it made for them or just because their dad was their coach, you know, like actually that was probably challenging in and of itself in some ways. So what is that, what is that training looked like for, I guess, your life? Yeah, so I started really competitive swimming probably about the age of 12. So for the last 12 years, we just swim 10 times a week and then we're in the weight room three times a week. And our only days off for Sunday, which is God's days, and that's great.

But yeah, like we train every day, and I think as this is an Olympic and a parallel and a big year, the world really only sees athletes on the stage or like at these really big moments, but I don't think people realize that we after these games are done, we go home and we do the same thing for the next four years. There's no off time, there's no year off, there's no like break where we're constantly putting our bodies through really intense training, we're constantly fueling ourselves, we're constantly getting the rest and the recovery we need. So being an athlete is like a 24-7 job, and I think also just being in the Paralympic

side. So for those listeners who don't know, the Paralympics are for athletes with disabilities. Often the misconception is that the Paralympics are easy because I thought you're disabled, you can just show up. Well, that's the snop, the case anymore, maybe 20, 30 years ago, when there wasn't as much depth, but I mean, I've been trying for 13 years, and this is my first time, it's not easy.

You can't just show up and hope that you're good, say to just like you were saying, like you can't just show up to the track and run a race and hope for the best nowadays, like you have to just like show up to the track and run a race and hope for the best. Nowadays, like, you have to work for it. And the same thing, like talking and making videos and stuff sometimes like you got to put in a little bit of prep work if you want to sound good or if you want to make sense.

That's the truth. As I stalked you on YouTube all morning. I love that. It's so funny. You can't just show up and it's clear in your life. And I love that you said that just because it You can't just show up. And it's clear in your life. And I love that you said that just because it's super Olympics, that doesn't mean it's easier at all. Like you guys are actually overcoming really hard things and having to be an athlete and train like the athletes do while having what you know, it's a disability. And so,

no, that does not seem easy. That actually seems really hard. And it's a disability. And so, no, that it does not seem easy. That actually seems really hard. And it's really inspiring. The commercial came on this week, the rock, you know, that it owls like crying. I was like, do you just get a beat? And so cool. Um, no, it's very cool. One thing that you said on your YouTube video, and I thought I was really cool, you, so you're educating people on the M word. And I love that video because honestly, it was really educational for me because I've never talked to someone with dwarfism

and I didn't realize how many different types you can have and also that there's over like 600,000 people in the world that have dwarfism. And so this is clearly something I think we need to be educated on. And so, Dots is a little bit about the M word, why it's offensive, and how you've seen that. Maybe hurts that you've had in your life with that, and what you wish people knew when they say things like that. Yeah.

It was kind of a loaded question. Well, no time like the present to get into that. So, for those people who are listening, the M word is the word midget and for little people that is a super derogatory and offensive term, the word comes from stems way back from the circus culture. There is a guy by the name of PT Barnum who you guys might know from the movie The Greatest Showman, but he actually made money off of the backs of people who looked like me. And so, like, the freak, he made the freak show era a thing. And that's where the word, Midget comes from. And so, it comes from this really, like, diminutive and this derogatory era where when somebody calls me and my friends Midget,

it doesn't make us feel great. It actually makes us more feel like objects and things. You don't just call somebody, I would like to think that people don't just say mean things to people on the street, but when you use the M or that's for what that does. It's not the greatest. And so I think the best way to refer to people with dwarfism is, first of all, by their name. So yes, no, my name, my name's Dee. Dee.

And, or else, like, person of short stature, person with dwarfism, little person. But the M-Word is definitely something that just throws your difference in your face. And for most people with disabilities they do not need to be reminded that they are different. It is it's you were we're pretty aware of it without someone needing to say it. And I think just the more like Sadie you asking me to come on here today is so encouraging just for me and for other people who look like me because this is a platform

where we get to talk about this because not everyone's going to know that the end word's a bad word. And that's, I don't hold that against anybody because education is important and I think that people are genuinely curious but who is who's ever listening now that you know that it's a bad word. Now it's kind of in your hands to go and like what are you going to do with that? Yeah that's good. So even like earlier because this is a legit question and I think this is part of humbling yourself and learning. Whenever I was talking about dwarfism and then I said you are a dwarf. Is that the wrong phrase? Would you then say and you're a little person? Like would you not refer as a dwarf, even though it's dwarfism?

So for me, I'm totally cool with that, but it depends on the person. Like, my email is super dwarf. So it's... That's awesome. So, you know, I saw in one of your videos that you were talking about how you wish you could educate parents a little bit better as to how I'd to teach their children. Because you've seen mom just like hit their kid in public whenever they say something, that you were talking about how you wish you could educate parents a little bit better as to how to teach their children because you've seen moms just like hit their kid and public whenever they say something. And we had accounts that can't be a dwarfism and a lot of the kids would say stuff.

And it's like, man, you kind of wish their parents would educate them a little bit. What would you say to a parent that was talking to their kid? Or what did your parents say to other moms or whatever? Did you ever walk through that from like a parent to child situation? Yeah, so first of all I would start with saying that I think questions are the best way to spread awareness because We're curious people. I think God has made us to be curious like he's made us to ask questions and God is patient with us when

We ask him question, I ask God questions every day. Like God, what about this? What about those? Why is this yellow? Why is this green? Like we ask questions and so I think that questions are one of the best things to educate people with. And I think that people are just curious and we're just looking to find meaning and things. And so to diminish that in a child when they come up to someone who's different, when you get afraid that their question was offensive, let them ask, let them let them be curious, and then it's up to that person to answer in the way that they feel comfortable with. And I know for my parents, I would get little kids

coming up to me all the time saying, I'm bigger than you or even my little cousins are like, D next time you come home, I'm gonna be taller. Yeah, because I don't grow, but you do. And they're like, what? And so it's just like keeping it open for them because they usually kids at that age and younger kids, they don't mean, they don't know any don't know any different, they see me and they see, okay, she's small, but she looks like a mom. So she must be a little mom. And I'm like, oh no, I'm not a mom yet, but like I am small, so you've parked marks for that. I could, I could say on here all day and tell you all the funny stories that I've had and different comments, but what my

parents did in when I was going into school is they brought in this long, you know, those long balloons that you can make like balloon shapes with, and they came into my kindergarten class and they said, okay, so this is what your leg looks like, but Danielle's leg and then they would tie a little knot. It looks like this and her legs just don't grow, but she has everything that you have inside of you just in a smaller package. That's so sweet. Yeah, so that was just one way that they would do that, but I am so for questions and so for asking things.

It depends on your heart too. Like how? Yeah. And also depends on the question, but it depends on what you're wanting to know and just your heart posture. Yeah. And if your heart posture is good, then that's cool.

That's cool. So I did watch a lot of your things, and I did see that people have said some pretty rude things. And you even mentioned that earlier, people saying stuff from the street, I saw somebody leapfrogged over you, which was horrible, and I just can't even imagine that happening.

And so I'm so sorry that people are just rude with people doing stuff like that. How did you get to the point of saying like, I want to start a vlog. Like I want to let my little light shine because I think a lot of people when they experience rudeness or they experience people being a hater, if you will, because everybody experiences that to some degree. You know, I've experienced a lot for different reasons, you know, and you know, sometimes like, I don't even want to show myself. I don't even want to put something out because I don't want the hatred, I don't want the commentary. What was it and you that said, hey, I'm gonna let my little light shine. I'm

starting this YouTube video, YouTube series. Yeah, so that was a little bit of a process that I totally really also what you said about putting yourself out there. It's like you have this on your heart and you want to share, but then you know that putting yourself out there, you're going to, you're exposing yourself to a lot of other things, but I think that's when it comes back to where's our identity and who are we doing this for? And because people's comments change every day. You could be in the good books one day and canceled the next and so yeah. That's the truth. Yeah so I know I get what you're saying but there was an instance, a very specific one that was like pretty much changed how I saw speaking to people and it was in 2018 I was

walking home from school and there was a homeless man and he had tattoos all over his face and he was definitely on some sort of drug and he was a little bit out of his mind, but he saw me and he immediately just started yelling at me. Like, top of his lungs, middle of downtown is, my gosh look at you baby baby you are so small like just belittling me I never experienced that form of just intense hate pretty much is what that was and I was so shocked and so I just kept walking put my head down and as I was getting home I started crying and I got inside and put my bag down I sat on my getting home, I started crying and I got inside and put my bag down.

I sat on my couch and I just broke down. And I remember just being so desperate and I looked up and I said, God, what the heck? Like you made me this way. And so why did you let that happen? And if you made me this way, you have to come down and fix that. Fix this because I can't do that.

I can't deal with that. And then a few minutes passed and I stopped crying. And I, you know, those moments where like the light bulb just goes off, like in those little cartoons, like, thing, and I do it. And so this was a god-ding idea. And he just, I just felt like he wanted me to go buy him dinner. This the go back on and buy this guy dinner and I was like, I need to share about that. Like you do do do not see what he just did to me.

Did you not hear? And he said go buy him dinner. So put my boots back on walk deck down my stairs, grab my debit card and I started praying and I said, okay God if this is you, he's going to be there. And if this is not you, I'm just gonna go home and pretend that this didn't happen. And eat that dinner. And eat that dinner exactly.

And so I was walking and I see him on the corner. I'm like, oh no, this is his, this is him. Like, okay, God, give me the words to say now, because I don't wanna be doing this. And I walked up to him and the guy saw me and he starts yelling this and I walked up to him and the guy saw me and he starts yelling and I went up to him and I stuck my hand out before COVID so it's fine. It's stuck my hand out and I said hi my name's Danielle can I buy you dinner? And immediately his jaw just dropped to the floor and he said you would do that for me. And I said, yeah, I'll buy you anything you want.

And he immediately just started apologizing for everything he said. He said, you know, I am so sorry. I'm sure you did do that way. It's these drugs that I'm on. They're just messing me up. Like, I do you forgive me. And I said, yeah, I forgive you.

Let's just go and have some dinner. So we went to the McDonald's great dinner choice for an athlete. And he ordered what he wanted and just for 15 minutes we just got to talk and he just told me about his life, he told me about his kids, we were actually both from Vancouver and so it's kind of crazy that we're in Montreal and we're sharing this meal together and he was just telling me about himself and then he gets his dinner and I feel so at this moment too I was

pretty new to praying out loud and I was like relatively more newer Christian pursuing God and I felt God said in the Alurea Christian you need to pray for him. I was like okay, Jesus, okay I'll do that. So I said hey like I'm a Christian do you mind if I pray for you? And he goes oh like I used to know God a long time ago. Like, yes, I would love that. And so in the middle of this McDonald's, this man with tattoos all over his face and this little four foot one door,

I just laid my hands on him and I said, dear Jesus, thank you for this today. And I prayed for him and his name's Shane. And Shane calls me now his food hookup because every time he sees me in the street, we're like, hey, hey, hey. And it was the craziest experience because I left there and I felt so close to Shane that I could have given him a hug whereas 30 minutes before that was like the worst night of my life. Wow. And so God showed up for me and like I was praying that God would give me peace, that he would help me out.

But what God does is he's not just about helping one person, he's about helping everybody in shame. Is his child just as much as I'm his child. And for me to be able to heal and to get better was for me to step out of my comfort zone and meet Shane where he was at which was with a meal and a prayer. Wow. And so that story, that event and that really just changed the way that I saw how I could use my disability and use my difference to reach people.

And then a few years later I just felt like I wanted to start a channel and I say that I was actually really inspired by you and just what you were doing with like your voice and your platform. I was like, God, I can't go off and do that right now because I'm a swimmer every day. Like, I don't have time. You're busy. So what do I do? And he's like, start a YouTube channel.

Just start a vlog. He's like, okay, what do I call it? And I'm all about short jokes. You might know this from if any of you are on the app, I definitely drop those jokes sometimes to time. And I was praying for a name. I said, God, what do I call this? Like, it's got to be great. It's got to be like, okay, maybe like short stories or not show not so short stories. And then there was one day I was in the mall and a song came on and it was this little light of mine. And it was like this, the light of mine. And then it just, another ding light,

well, God, moment to say. Literally a light. Little light, all right. God, you're funny. Let's go and then start in the channel and hear what you're doing. That was so good. I love it. I actually never forget when I first met you on Zoom and everyone was

introducing themselves and you made a short joke and everyone got silent. I know I knew it to do. And you said, God, I'm getting, like, you can laugh. It really just died laughing at you. It was so funny. So funny because I actually felt so bad about that because you were pregnant at the time and I had said that I was small because my mom drank coffee in the womb and I remember saying that I was like, D, what did you just do? That was so funny. I was like, I literally gonna be like wow and then everyone just like

Talking but it was so good you're some tec you are is so fun And with you I think it's hilarious. I really do Well, I really could talk to you on day and I really want to be real life friends I we got to stop just meeting over zoom for sure We need to go hang out with Shane and go to McDonald's, but one thing that I did wanna ask you before we get off is that, you know, you are so spiritually grounded and rooted. And when you say stuff like,

oh, then I heard God say this and then I prayed this and I was new to out loud prayer. It's really cool because when I hear you talk, I would think, oh, you must have grown up or Christian your whole life, you like, you know, are so rooted in the word. You're so rooted in God. You trust them so much. And so to hear you say, like, it was a few years ago after Rio, that like, I got baptized and give my life to God. You know, I think that's going to be inspiring for people because I think a lot of times people see someone when they're at their faith and they

say, like, I'm too far behind. Like, can never get there. I didn't grow up with this. I didn't, I'm not like that now. Um, what was that like for you? What was that turnaround? And how are you, who you are now? How are you so rooted in in Christ and who you are? Hmm. That's a great question.

Well, um, for those of you who are worried that you're too far behind. Nothing is out of the time of God. If God wants you to do something, he is gonna speed you up to get there. He's gonna turn you around or flip you upside down to do whatever you need to do. But yeah, so my parents grew up in church and they brought us to church and they were really foundational for me. Like I would not have known about Christianity if it wasn't for my parents.

And growing up, my parents would always pray over me and they would say, then, oh, God has a plan and a purpose for your life. And like you matter. And so they, they always instilled that in me, but it, it wasn't until I made that decision for myself. It's like we can, we can ride on the coattails of someone's faith only for so long until we have to make that decision for ourselves That's the truth and so it was in 2016 when I made that decision

I said you know what my parents have been telling me this I feel like I believe it I don't fully understand it But I want to spend the rest of my life figuring that out and it wasn't until I was like okay God it's you and me. It's not me and it's not you and then plus me sometimes. It's you and me where it just took off. And then I just, um, God, which is put things in my path that would help me grow. And so I, I made my first Christian friends when I was 19 years old. Like I didn't have Christian community until I came to University of all places. And I, and I'm like, so that's God. And never experienced really like the highs and lows of swimming, even like, even like, how would I say that? I never experienced the things that I'm experiencing now without it can be in your path, but if you're willing to go for it,

that's a whole other thing. And I just decided, I just made a decision that I've said, you know, like God, if you want me to do this, I'll do it. And you will make it better because you've shown me time and time again that you've always made it better. Yeah, that's why I like one of my favorite verses and I quote this so much is that You know

Gosh I literally just went blank as a fever is 1035 Yeah, and it talks about the confident trust that we have in the Lord and the way that you gain Confident stress is by having confidence in him because you trust him because you know that's how he's gonna show up And I love how like for you like you know God's gonna show up whenever you obey because like you did it with shame. Like God said, go buy him dinner. You could have just said, well, God actually like I forgive him. And that would have been good. But he said, go buy him dinner. And you got up and you got your debit card and you went to him and you shook his hand, the guy. And then you took him to McDonald's and you said there and you bought him dinner.

Like you didn't have to do all that. That was obedience, you know? And like that, God showing you that and what you felt that night and how you did have peace in your heart and you forgave someone and you had joy and you had a new friend and chain, you know? And you got to overcome this moment

and then it set you up for the YouTube. Like now you have a confident trust. Like, okay, God, if you ask me, even if it sounds crazy, even if it's hard, even if it's awkward, even if it's uncomfortable, even if it's scary. Like, I'll say yes, because I know you're gonna meet me and I love how you prayed in that story.

You said, God, come down here and fix it. And he met you. Like, he met you in that moment because it says in first jaun, like, no one's ever seen God, but if we love one another God's love is made perfect through us. It's completed in this and so like when you do that active love like you do see God, you know, and so you are such an inspiration. Honestly, I I'm so glad that you did this. I'm so glad that you said yes to this podcast and the midst of your training. And I hope every single person in the world listens to this.

So whoever's listening, send it to 10 of your friends right now because there's so many things that we can learn from you, D. And you are a little light and a big light out at the same time. And so thanks for being new. And thank you so much for being in the app and pouring in the girls there, pouring in the girls on your YouTube, on your Instagram, here, and hey, go crush it and Tokyo.

Go Canada, let's go. Say thank you so much for having me and thank you just for providing this platform for people to share what God has put on their hearts and what else is going on. Because, you know, like, just bring it back to this little light. We all have a light to shine. And it's thanks to Jesus that we do. And your light looks different than mine. And my light looks different than yours.

But we're shining them together and the world's looking pretty bright. It's different where I'm sitting. Looking pretty bright. Let's go. Let's go. Right. That's awesome. Well, I appreciate it, girl. Thank you so much.