She Survived a 113-MPH Crash — Kali Parkinson’s Story of Trauma, Healing, and Becoming Someone New | Crackin’ Backs Podcast

One moment, you’re a college student planning your future.
The next, you’re in a car going 113 miles per hour, rolling 15 times down a 300-foot canyon in rural Utah.

On this powerful episode of the Crackin’ Backs Podcast, we sit down with Kali Parkinson, a college student whose life changed in a single, violent moment—and whose story of survival, recovery, and identity will stay with you long after the episode ends.

The driver of the car died on impact.
Kali survived—but only because of a chain of unlikely “coincidences” that defy explanation.

Random hikers happened to be out on a Wednesday night in a remote canyon.
Despite minimal cell service, they were able to call 911.
A medical helicopter was already in the area on a training flight and arrived in less than 25 minutes.
One hiker carried a pocket knife with a seatbelt cutter, just in time to free Kali as the belt tightened around her neck and began to suffocate her.

This episode isn’t about shock value.
It’s about what happens after—when survival becomes the starting line, not the finish.

In this conversation, Kali shares:

• What she remembers from the moment everything changed—and the first clear thought that cut through the chaos
• How surviving a near-fatal car accident affects not just the body, but the mind
• The hardest emotions she faced once the dust settled
• What it’s like when your body becomes something you must relearn instead of trust
• The challenge of going from independence at college to suddenly needing help in ways most young adults never experience
• Whether accepting help—or trusting herself again—was the harder battle
• How facing mortality at such a young age changed her relationship with time, priorities, and what truly matters
• Who she hopes people sense she is today—not what she survived, but who she has become

This episode speaks directly to anyone who has experienced trauma, loss, or a life-altering event—and to anyone navigating the quiet, unseen work of healing.

Why This Story Matters

Kali Parkinson’s story reminds us that healing isn’t linear, strength isn’t loud, and survival is not the same as living. Her experience offers insight not only for those recovering from physical trauma, but for anyone re-learning trust—in their body, their mind, and their future.

This is not just a story about what happened.
It’s a story about who you become afterward.

Watch or Listen

Available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

Are medical students and young doctors really becoming better clinicians — or just better prompt engineers with stethoscopes? In this episode of Crackin’ Backs, we go deep with Dr. Ti Pence to unpack AI in healthcare, how it’s reshaping medical training, clinical decision-making, ethical responsibility, bias, and what the next decade of medicine might look like.

From daily AI use in study and documentation to hospitals quietly embedding tools into clinics, we ask the hard questions:

• What happens when medical training prioritizes AI fluency over clinical judgment?
• How can future physicians use AI to augment — not override — human expertise?
• Where does bias pose the greatest risk in real-world medicine?
• Who should be held accountable if AI harms a patient?
• And what does an ideal AI-powered healthcare system look like by 2030?

Whether you’re a clinician, medical student, health professional, patient advocate, or curious about the future of medicine and technology, this episode challenges assumptions and shows the human side of AI in health care.

About Our Guest — Dr. Ti Pence

Dr. Ti Pence, DC is a clinician, healthcare strategist, and thought leader at the intersection of artificial intelligence, clinical judgment, and medical education. With advanced training in healthcare administration and cutting-edge insight into how AI tools are shaping practice, Dr. Pence explores the balance between technology and human expertise — especially in how doctors are trained, evaluated, and held accountable today.

He’s been featured talking about AI’s impact on manual therapy, chiropractic education, and the future of clinical skills — challenging traditional norms and offering practical, big-picture insight into where medicine is headed next.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why AI is already embedded in how medical students study, write notes, and plan care
One real example where AI impressed — and one where it missed the mark
How bias in healthcare data can harm real lives
What professionalism with AI should actually look like
The “rules of engagement” every future physician should follow
A hopeful — and a cautionary — vision of medicine in 2030

Whether you’re preparing for med school, navigating clinical practice, or just curious about AI + human judgment, this episode makes complex ideas feel understandable and urgent.

Listen, Subscribe & Share

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.

If this episode made you think differently about medicine and AI, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review — it helps other curious minds discover the show.

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

What if the hormone you’ve been ignoring your entire life… is the one that could save it?

In this electrifying episode of The Crackin Backs Podcast we welcome back hormone-game-changer Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson — a global thought-leader whose career spans nearly four decades of clinical breakthroughs in hormones, nutrition and gut-health.

Known for calling Oxytocin “the most misunderstood hormone in modern medicine” — not just the so-called “love hormone,” but a whole-body regulator — Dr. Berkson pulls back the curtain on how oxytocin might be the missing link behind loneliness, inflammation, hormone decline, disconnection, anxiety, burnout, mood disorders, trauma, menopause, male aging, intimacy and longevity.

Why have we excluded oxytocin from the women’s health conversation (menopause, pelvic floor, estrogen/progesterone interplay)? What does the science actually reveal about oxytocin’s power to rewire the brain, heal trauma, support male cardiovascular health, and rewrite the aging script? Dr. Berkson explains it all — with the kind of clinical depth and personal insight that only comes from someone who has lived the story as both doctor and patient.

If you’re ready to challenge everything you’ve been told about hormones and discover the regulatory molecule that may hold the key to emotional connection, physical resilience, and the longer, better life you deserve — you cannot skip this episode.

Want to dig deeper? Grab Dr. Berkson’s latest book, explore her full bio and research, and watch/listen to this episode now — your future self will thank you.

Learn more about Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson:
Dr. Berkson’s Official Site

Be sure to subscribe, rate and share so you don’t miss our next deep-dive into hormone science, performance, wellness and transformation.

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

Spines don’t just bend — they reveal who we are, how we adapt, and where modern medicine is still failing. Today on Crackin’ Backs, we sit down with a man who’s been inside those hidden curves, seen what the X-rays don’t show, and is rewriting the entire narrative around scoliosis.
Meet Dr. Jeb McAviney: chiropractor, researcher, speaker, and CEO of ScoliCare. With over two decades in non-surgical spinal deformity care, Dr. McAviney holds a Master of Chiropractic and a Master of Pain Medicine—he’s also developed breakthrough programs like ScoliBalance® and ScoliBrace® and now sits on the board of the International Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT).

What we’ll uncover in this episode:

• Why scoliosis is not just a teenage issue—and how adult curves are being ignored.
• The biggest shifts in scoliosis treatment in the last 2–4 years that many clinicians or parents don’t know—and why that lag can be dangerous.
• The emotional and identity weight that sits on someone’s spine—what the image can’t tell you, but Dr. McAviney sees.
• The sacred cows of scoliosis care: What practices will we look back on in 10 years and say, “How did we ever think that was acceptable?”
• The global scoreboard: Which countries are getting scoliosis care right, which ones are shockingly behind, and what explains the difference.

If you’ve ever wondered what your spine really says about you—this is the episode you can’t skip.

Learn more about Dr. McAviney & join the mission:

• ScoliCare

Tune in now—because the curve in your spine might be writing the story you haven’t yet heard.

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

Most people fear one life-changing setback. Matt Blanchard has survived two. And today on Crackin’ Backs, we’re not just talking about recovery — we’re talking about life after paralysis. What happens when the crowds fade, the rehab ends, and an entirely new version of living begins?

Matt’s story is as raw and real as they come. In 2006, a rollover accident left him with a T-12 spinal cord injury, paralyzed from the waist down. After 15 years of relentless therapy he defied the odds and walked again. Then in 2021 a head-on collision with a drunk driver erased his progress — the jaws of life, an air-lift to a trauma center, paralysis again. Through it all, Matt founded St. George Adaptive Sports, became a nationally recognized motivational speaker, and rewrote what resilience, strength and real living mean.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How identity dies and is reborn when you rebuild life twice after paralysis — the truth behind “starting over.”
• The smallest, most overlooked daily habit that keeps Matt grounded, mentally resilient and strong — still to this day.
• What happens after the world stops watching: how do you create momentum when no one is cheering and your body still carries the load?
• What healthcare providers still get wrong about the long-term physical realities of paralysis — and the hidden mental load they often miss.
• A perspective every fully-mobile athlete would gain if they lived just one day in Matt’s body — about training, gratitude and physical mastery.

Connect & Support the Mission
If you feel inspired by Matt’s journey and want to join the cause:

• Visit St. George Adaptive Sports (Utah-based nonprofit) to donate, volunteer or learn how adaptive golf and inclusive recreation are rewriting strength HERE
• Follow Matt on Instagram: @mattyblanch3 & Facebook: Matt Blanchard 333 to stay updated, share his message and support his speaking mission.
• Book Matt as a speaker or connect for collaboration via BlanchardInspires.com

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

On today’s episode of the Crackin’ Backs Podcast, we sit down with one of the most quietly powerful humans we’ve ever met—Dennis Lappin, a career firefighter, father, and American Ninja Warrior who embodies what real strength looks like when no one’s watching.

Dennis runs toward burning buildings for a living…
and for fun, he runs straight into obstacles most people wouldn’t ever attempt.

But his story isn’t about the spotlight.
It’s about the moment the lights went out.

While competing on American Ninja Warrior, Dennis tore his Achilles and calf—an injury known to end athletic careers, especially for tactical athletes who rely on explosive strength and stability. Doctors told him he might never compete again. Most people would’ve taken that as their cue to step back.

Dennis didn’t.

He didn’t fight his way back for cameras, applause, or a redemption storyline.
He came back because ordinary people don’t do extraordinary things—extraordinary decisions do.

In this raw, emotional, and deeply human conversation, we explore:

The exact moment he decided “I’m not done”

Was it in the firehouse, during rehab, or alone at home when doubt got loud? Dennis opens up about the internal line he refused to cross.

How he built elite-level fitness around 24-hour firefighter shifts, stress, trauma, and unpredictability

Firefighting isn’t structured—so neither was his training. His system wasn’t built on convenience… it was built inside chaos.

How he balanced three identities: firefighter, athlete, and father

What happens when the heaviest “hat” isn’t the one people see? Dennis talks about emotional load, fatigue, and showing up even when you’re empty.

Why his rehab philosophy wasn’t to “get back,” but to LEVEL UP

He breaks down the one rehab principle everyone ignores—and why it completely changed his recovery.

The real fear he faced—on a fire call and on the Ninja Warrior course

And the exact mindset tool he used to get through the type of fear you don’t talk about.

His message for anyone who says: “I’m too tired, too old, too busy, too late”

Dennis doesn’t give motivational clichés. He gives truth earned in smoke, sweat, and setbacks.

What healthcare providers often misunderstand about firefighters and tactical athletes

If you treat firefighters, law enforcement, or military personnel—this is a masterclass in understanding stress load, biology, and performance under pressure.

The one life lesson he hopes his kids remember from watching him fall and rise again

A moment that will hit every parent, coach, and athlete right in the chest.

This episode isn’t about Ninja Warrior.
It isn’t about firefighting.

It’s about every human being who has ever been knocked down and had to decide whether today is the day they stay down… or rise.

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

In this compelling episode of the Crackin’ Backs Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Andria Klioze—physician, disease-reversal pioneer, and founder of the wellness platform Shield of Life. After years inside the rule-bound system of the Veterans Affairs (VA) caring for patients with advanced illnesses, Dr. Klioze made a bold decision: to leave the traditional structure and build a new model of care focused on gut health, soil microbiome, energy medicine, and true resilience.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What it costs a doctor to trade “prescriptions for possibility,” and how hope, truth, love and faith can meet evidence-based medicine.
• The hardest lessons she had to unlearn after stepping away from the VA, and what healing really looks like when you remove bureaucracy.
• Why she calls her garden philosophy – and how the soil beneath your feet may reflect the health within your body.
• Her breakthrough integration of the human gut microbiome, soil biology and pulsed electromagnetic activation (PEMA), uniting energy medicine and biology.
• A life-changing patient story that redefines “reversal,” and the tools she uses when everyday life feels numb or cynical to keep belief alive.

Whether you’re looking for ways to reverse disease, reboot your health, or question the limits of modern medicine, this discussion cuts deep. It’s for the seekers, the skeptics, and anyone ready to step into possibility.

About Dr. Andria Klioze:
Dr. Klioze graduated from the Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1995, completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine in 1999 and a fellowship in faculty development in 2002. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. In 2002 she left her role as Director of Faculty Development at UF and as a hospitalist for the VA in Gainesville, to work in the VA’s new metabolic clinic in Daytona Beach. Today she leads Shield of Life, a physician-led program that focuses on disease-mitigation, remission and reversal through holistic, science-driven protocols.

Learn more & connect with Dr. Klioze:
Website: Shield for Life
Instagram: @drandriaklioze
Facebook: Shield of Life Facebook Page
(Check for her podcast, webinars and educational series at her site.)

Don’t miss this—tap in now and discover what modern medicine misses, what your body knows, and how one physician is rewriting the rules of healing.

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

What if greatness isn’t something you’re born with… but something you grow into?

On today’s episode of the Crackin’ Backs Podcast, we sit down with one of the nation’s leading minds in performance psychology: Dr. Amy Athey, Chief Wellbeing Officer at the University of Arizona, former NCAA athlete, and trusted mental performance advisor to Olympians, Special Forces operators, professional athletes, and high-pressure CEOs.

Dr. Athey has spent decades inside the mindset of the world’s highest achievers — and her message is both powerful and radically freeing:

Greatness isn’t fixed. Talent isn’t destiny. The truly elite are simply… still evolving.

In this eye-opening conversation, we dive deep into:

The biggest myth about talent and greatness — and why believing it is dangerous for your potential
How elite performers fall in love with the process, especially when results stall
Why reflection is a performance superpower (and what the “action of reflection” actually looks like in real life)
How Olympians and executives keep going when motivation dies
The role of connection, purpose, and community in building mental resilience
Self-compassion vs. inner fire — how to stay driven without destroying yourself
The internal shift that separates those who crumble from those who evolve after injury, loss, burnout, or failure
And the personal moment that forced Dr. Athey herself to evolve — reshaping her work and her mission

This episode is a must-listen for athletes, coaches, clinicians, leaders, and anyone chasing high performance without sacrificing wellbeing. If you want to understand what truly drives greatness — and how to build it within yourself — this conversation will change the way you train, think, and live.

Learn more about Dr. Amy HERE

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast