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Still I Rise Podcast
Real stories. Raw truth. Unshakable hope.
Hosted by Lisa McKenzie, founder of You Night Empowering Events, The Still I Rise Podcast is a powerful, heartfelt series that shares the voices of women who have fought — or are still fighting — cancer, and the transformative journeys they’ve taken to reclaim joy, identity, and purpose.
Each episode highlights inspiring survivor stories, candid conversations with mental health experts, and uplifting insights for anyone facing life after diagnosis. We dive deep into the emotional, spiritual, and psychological layers of healing — reminding every woman that she’s not alone, and that her story matters.
Whether you're navigating cancer, supporting a loved one, or simply seeking inspiration and sisterhood, this podcast is for you.
Want to share your story, connect with our community, or support our mission?
Visit YouNightEmpoweringEvents.com to learn more about our cancer survivor empowerment programs and how you can get involved.
#StillIRisePodcast | #CancerSurvivorStories | #WomenWhoFightCancer | #YouNightSisterhood
Support women rising. Align your brand with a mission of hope, courage, and transformation.
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Call us at 877-591-5936 x1 or email lisa@younightevents.com
Episodes
98 episodes
"My Wildfire Years: A Journey through Loss, Love and Healing" by Alexis Santoro
Welcome to the Still I Rise Podcast—where stories of resilience, healing, and the human spirit remind us that even in our darkest moments… we rise.Today’s episode is one you won’t forget.Our guest, Alexis Santoro, shares ...
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Finding Gold in the Shadows (and the quest to stop being so hard on ourselves!): "Daylight" by Rachel Giammolva
This episode… it hit hard.Because today, Rachel Giammolva shares something so deeply personal, so honest… that it’s going to make a lot of women feel seen.Rachel has lost over 100 pounds. By every standard, that’s a transformation...
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A River Never Ceasing: Healing Childhood Wounds, Breast Cancer, and Finding Strength Through It Al - by Helen Connorsl
Today’s story is called “A River Never Ceasing” by Helen Connors—and it is exactly that… a life that keeps moving, keeps flowing, no matter what it encounters.Helen is someone who doesn’t sit still for long. She moves forward, pus...
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Breast Cancer Recurrence Warning: Cutaneous Metastases After Mastectomy – Kimberly Meyers-Turner's Story
When Kimberly Meyers-Turner sat down for this interview in September 2025, she believed she had survived breast cancer.After undergoing a double mastectomy and reconstruction, she was celebrating what she thought was the end of a long an...
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In the Hands of the Master Artist: Dina Buscher’s Story of Cancer, Faith, and Rising from the Ashes
What happens when life slowly wears away your sense of worth—and then cancer delivers what feels like the final blow?In this powerful episode of the Still I Rise Podcast, Lisa sits down with Dina Buscher, who shares her dee...
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Three Months from 10 Years Cancer-Free… Then the Words “You Have Cancer Again” | Jeannie Travalini
What happens when you are just three months away from celebrating ten years cancer-free… and you hear the words no survivor ever wants to hear again: “You have cancer.” In this powerful episode of the Stil...
The "The Darkness and the Light": Healing Trauma, Breaking Generational Cycles, and Surviving Cancer featuring Alana Acereto
In this powerful episode of Still I Rise, Alana Acereto shares her story, “The Darkness and the Light,” a deeply moving reflection on childhood trauma, generational healing, and her journey as a cancer survivor.For years,...
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"Reaching the Peak": Maryann Fonseca’s Breast Cancer Survivor Story of Faith, Running, and Spiritual Awakening
Some journeys aren’t flat roads — they’re mountains.Mountains with loose rocks beneath your feet. Mountains that make your heart race. Mountains that force you to stop, breathe, and pray before taking the next step....
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"My Journey Through Darkness and Light": Surviving Childhood Leukemia Twice - by Maureen Fedge
In this powerful episode of Still I Rise, Maureen Fedge shares her remarkable story of surviving acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as a child — not once, but twice.Diagnosed at just twelve years old with an aggressive form of ...
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"One Ticket. All the Rides. All the Feels": Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer - by Lauren Micciantuono
Life doesn’t come with a single ride.It comes with twists, drops, music, stillness — and sometimes, pure fear.When we meet Lauren Micciantuono, she describes her life like an amusement park. Some days are gentle and steady. Some days...
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"Warrior Carrying a Boulder" by Crystal Walcott: Choosing Strength After Breast Cancer
In this empowering episode of Still I Rise, Crystal Walcott shares her journey through breast cancer, resilience, and the deliberate choice to reclaim joy. Diagnosed after her first mammogram, Crystal’s life shifted in an instan...
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"The Weight I Carried, The Strength I Found: Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer" featuring Allison Spampinato
In this deeply moving episode of Still I Rise, Allison Spampinato shares her story of living with metastatic breast cancer while carrying unimaginable grief, fear, and responsibility. Diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma<...
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Scars Into Strength: A Breast Cancer Survivor’s Story of Resilience and Healing by Idun-Cara Byers
In this powerful episode of Still I Rise, Idun-Cara Byers shares a deeply moving story of resilience, caregiving, and healing after breast cancer. Diagnosed with Stage One Estrogen-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, Idu...
"Cracked Open" by Nicole Urbanek: A Breast Cancer Story of Loss, Resilience, and Becoming
Some moments in life change us quietly.Others crack us open completely.For Nicole Urbanek, that moment came at just thirty-three, when the life she knew split wide with a breast cancer diagnosis. It wasn’t just her body that c...
When Strength Was Gone, Faith Remained: "He Carried Me Through the Sand" by Catrina Sullivan
Some stories are not about how strong we are — but about who carried us when we had no strength left.When we first met Catrina Sullivan, she carried herself with strength — and with walls. Walls built over years o...
Phoenix Rising: A Mother’s Story of Breast Cancer, Leukemia, and Survival with Cat Black
What does it mean to survive when life never gives you time to rest?In this powerful episode of Still I Rise, Cat Black shares her extraordinary story of surviving breast cancer and leukemia — not once, but twice — while ...
"Becoming" by Tara Warner" --The Mental Battle of Breast Cancer: An Oncology Nurse’s Story of Healing.
For more than twenty years, Tara Warner has stood at the bedside of people facing cancer.As an oncology nurse, she’s walked thousands of patients through diagnosis, treatment, fear, and hope — always reminding them that the mental battle...
"The Girl Who Built the Wrong House": A Breast Cancer Wake-Up Call—and a Message to My Daughters to Be Bold by Denise Whittaker
Once upon a time, in a quiet land of shifting skies and whispering winds, lived a girl named Denise. In her village, children didn’t build houses from wood or stone — they built them from beliefs.Denise learned early how to buil...
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Breast Cancer and Heart Failure at the Same Time: How Dawn Freret Found “Glimmers” and the ability to "Dance through the Darkness"
Today on Still I Rise, you’re going to meet a woman who describes herself through the image of a firefly—small, steady, and lit from within, flickering even when everything around her feels dark.Our guest, Dawn Freret, was st...
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"Kathy's Garden" by Kathy Cole
Welcome to Still I Rise, where we celebrate women who have walked through the darkest seasons and found a way to bloom again. Today, we step into the garden of Kathy Cole — a woman whose life has always been rooted in soil, color, and ...
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"Tethered" by Kelli Beckman
Some women survive storms.But Kelli Beckman has weathered entire skies.For much of her life, Kelli coped by imagining herself tethered to a hot-air balloon, floating safely above the clouds. When joy called—marriage, children,...
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"We Couldn’t Go Over It: A Story of Bravery, Loss, and Becoming" by Michele Rokes
Welcome to the Still I Rise Podcast, where we share the stories of women who walk through the unthinkable and rise stronger on the other side.Today, we’re honored to welcome Michele Rokes—a mother, a school nurse, and a woman wh...
"The Fight of My Life" by Kathy Burns
Welcome back to Still I Rise — the podcast that reminds us healing isn’t just about surviving what happened to us, but about rediscovering who we are after.Today, we meet Kathy Burns, a woman whose story—The Fight of ...
"My Life on the Rollercoaster" by Dawn Jackson
Welcome back to Still I Rise — the podcast where stories of resilience remind us that even when life throws us into the steepest drops, faith, courage, and connection can carry us through.Today’s guest is someone I affectionatel...
"Fear is Not My Future" by Alicia Seicshnaydre
Today on Still I Rise, we meet a woman whose story reminds us that sometimes, life’s most unexpected storms reveal the deepest strength within us.Before cancer, Alicia walked what she calls “a well-marked trail.” She planned her...
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