We Are The People Philip Bourke

Stepping out of our comfort zone is never easy, and I have great admiration for anyone that has stepped outside theirs to do something that they have been afraid of. James Michels is one such person. Growing up he was an introvert, who lived in his own world and was wary of letting people in. Today he is an author who has published 5 books, finding the confidence to share his inner universe with the world.
Join us as James opens up about his pivotal moment of self-discovery. He shares his journey of personal growth and the decision to invest in himself, leading to the unexpected path of becoming a crime thriller author. You'll hear about the challenges he faced in his quest to write his first book, and the powerful life lessons he learned along the way.
Resilient, brave, humble, funny, inspirational… This is James Michels.
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Growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood, Astrid faced a unique set of challenges that shaped her into the remarkable person she is today. She'll share her experiences of navigating the immense pressure to succeed imposed by her parents and the process of discovering her identity as the only black child in her school. But it's not just her cultural background that sets her apart; like any young person today, she's had to confront the typical struggles of adolescence.
In this episode, Astrid opens up about the ignorance she faced in school, the importance of understanding history, her unique relationship with social media, her unwavering commitment to being a role model for other first-generation children, and how her faith challenges her to be a better person every day.
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Today, we're joined by an incredible guest, Peter Ryan, a remarkable athlete who has conquered adversity and shattered barriers.
Growing up, rural Tipperary was home for Peter. That meant sports and plenty of them. He was very good at soccer and hurling but never pushed himself. In school he followed the crowd and stayed within his lane. He was a coasting through school happy in the knowledge a job in construction would see him through.
Then at the age of 19 his eyesight began to fail and he was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, a rare genetic disorder that left him with between five and ten percent peripheral vision in both eyes. Basically, he was legally blind.
In what felt like the blink of an eye what Peter knew as normal had disappeared, his identity was gone and he turned to alcohol to cope. He hit rock bottom before sport saved him and he unleashed the potential within… becoming a Paralympian!
Human, brave, honest, funny, a world class athlete… This is Peter Ryan!
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Orlagh Reynolds was a messer as a child and she has retained that sense of mischief into adulthood. She loved life and life loved Orlagh back as she lived the dream. City hopping as her career developed, working her dream job, surrounded by friends and family and topped off by her husband and daughter. Orlagh was lucky and grateful.
Then one day, her husband Fraser received a Motor Neuron Disease diagnosis that turned their world upside down. He was given two years to live and as the devastating news sunk in Fraser decided that something good was going to come from this diagnosis. It may have been too late for him but he was sure he was going to make a difference for future MND patients. 
And with that, they began to fight back!
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Scott Jenkins didn’t want to find himself at the age of 80 looking back at his life wondering what more he could have done with it, what more he could have achieved and the people he could have helped along the way.
Scott grew up in Wales and reached a turning point at the age of 30 where he decided to do something big, something that would have an impact on his life but also on lives around him. Himself and his brother decided to run 2000 miles from Boston to Austin, raising money and learning life lessons along the way.
Since that decision to run 75 marathons in 75 days, Scott has become an ultramarathon runner, a Badwater finisher, a high performing sales manager, a motivational speaker and has changed the lives of 93 children across the world, through Operation Smile.
Scott will inspire you to take the leap of faith you’ve been putting off and he’ll make it sound so simple… This is Scott Jenkins
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Beulah Coombs was born in Jamaica in 1949 and at the age of 8 she moved to Manchester following her parents who had moved their to help rebuild England after the war. She is part of the Windrush Generation. The world she encountered was much different to what she imagined and the welcome she received was tainted by ignorance as she strove to make an impact in her new surroundings.
But make an impact she did as Beulah ignored the racists and naysayers to build a life in her adopted country that was so fulfilling it prevented her from returning to live in Jamaica, even when the British government introduced a law suggesting she do just that.

Beulah describes the difficulties she faced finding a job, the vibrancy of the nightclub scene and talks about the importance of accurately depicting the past.
Inquisitive, funny, determined, and a first time published author at the age of 75…this is Beulah Coombs!
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