There are some stories that reach into the very core of your being, stories that don’t just move you, but awaken something inside. My recent podcast conversation with Tracy Martin was one of those moments.
By the age of fifteen, Tracy had already experienced profound loss, both her parents gone before she had even finished growing up. Just three years later, a life-altering car accident changed everything. At eighteen, she was left a paraplegic, grieving the loss of her then-boyfriend who died in the crash, and their unborn child.
To sit across from Tracy and listen to her speak with such honesty, strength, and grace was a humbling experience. Her story is not one of simple survival, it is one of continual adaptation. She had to learn to live in a body that no longer felt like her own, to rebuild a life after unimaginable pain, and to find purpose where only loss once existed.
As I listened, I found myself reflecting on my own younger self, the part of me who once lived in survival mode. When we face trauma, whether it’s the pain of abuse, loss, or any kind of deep suffering, our instinct is to protect ourselves. Our brains and bodies move into survival mode, doing whatever it takes to keep us safe. But survival, while necessary in the moment, isn’t a place we are meant to stay forever.
Living in survival becomes exhausting. It narrows our world and limits our capacity for joy, love, and connection. The real healing begins when we start to unlearn the coping mechanisms that once kept us safe but now hold us back. We begin to adapt in new ways - ways that invite in trust, surrender, and courage.
This journey isn’t easy. It requires us to do the very thing that once felt impossible, to let go of control and allow life to hold us again. To believe that we can be more than what happened to us.
Tracy’s story is a testament to that truth. Through immense loss, she found the strength not only to keep living but to use her voice and creativity to inspire others. Her debut book, So Not Me, is loosely based on her own experiences and delves deeply into the themes of trauma, healing, and the power of human connection. It’s a reminder that even through pain, we can create meaning, that adaptation can lead us to transformation.
Listening to Tracy reminded me that adapting isn’t about forgetting who we were before the pain, it’s about allowing life to reshape us into who we are meant to become.
May we all find the courage, like Tracy, to adapt, to grow, and to keep choosing life - even when it breaks us open.
Listen to the full conversation here: What keeps you going when you are told - You will never walk again.
Sharon Fitzmaurice
Holistic Wellness Coach, Author & Podcast Host
