Welcome to Something Shifted | Stories of Identity, Loss and Life Transitions!
Something Shifted | Stories of Identity, Loss and Life Transitions
Something Shifted | Stories of Identity, Loss and Life Tran…
There's a moment where your life splits in two. Before the diagnosis. Before the loss. Before the divorce, the burnout, the caregiving role, or the sudden change you never saw coming. And then after. Most conversations about grief, trauma, and resilience focus on how to move forward. But the deeper question so many people quietly live with after a lifequake: Who am I now? Something Shifted is a documentary-style podcast about identity after interruption. The psychological and emotional reconstruction that happens after major life changes reshape the person you thought you were. Each episode tells a deeply human story of someone navigating grief and healing, rebuilding identity after loss, recovering from trauma, finding purpose after hardship, or learning how to start over in life they never expected to be living. Because sometimes the hardest part of a sudden life change isn't the event itself. It's becoming someone new afterward. Hosted by South African broadcaster Sean Loots, Something Shifted blends immersive storytelling with reflective narration to explore what happens when identity changes through crisis, caregiving, diagnosis, parenting, survival, and loss. At the center of the show is the idea of the Lifequake: the moments that interrupt the expected path of a life and force a person into identity transformation. These are stories about emotional resilience, meaning after hardship, and finding yourself again after everything changed. If you're navigating life transitions, coping with loss, or trying to understand who you became after a major life change — this show is for you. Episode Topics Include: Identity Reconstruction, Trauma Recovery, Life Transitions, Starting Over In Life, Grief And Healing, Meaning After Loss, Losing a Dream, Emotional Resilience, Caregiving Burnout, Special Needs Parenting, Finding Yourself Again, Life After Diagnosis, Creative Burnout
July 5, 2023

Brandon Beack Broke His Neck, But Not His Spirit.

Brandon Beack Broke His Neck, But Not His Spirit.
Brandon Beack Broke His Neck, But Not His Spirit.
Something Shifted | Stories of Identity, Loss and Life Transitions
Brandon Beack Broke His Neck, But Not His Spirit.

While training for a gymnastics competition, 16-year-old Brandon Beack had a life-changing accident. A poorly timed dismount saw him miss the safety mat and land on the only square metre of uncovered concrete.

Brandon broke his neck and was instantly paralysed from his shoulders down.
Through sheer determination and hard work, he has regained far more mobility than many thought possible.

Today, Brandon heads up the Walking With Brandon Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers outpatient rehabilitation at an affordable rate to people with disabilities. He also has his sights set on a new athletic goal, to compete at the The Paris 2024 Paralymic Games.

Main Topics Discussed:

Brandon Beack's Dreams and Goals
The Shift to Being a Para Athlete
Overcoming Challenges and Regaining Independence
The Importance of Therapy and Consistency
Celebrating Small Achievements
Finding Love
Interacting with People of Determination

You can help me tell more stories of vulnerability with perfectly weird, messy little humans just like me, by giving the podcast a 5 star review on your favourite listening platform. Follow Brandon Beack on Instagram · Walking with Brandon · Therapy And Beyond · Youtube · Instagram · Website · 3-2-1 Shift Newsletter

About Something Shifted

Something Shifted is a documentary-style, narrative podcast about identity after interruption. It tells stories of life before and after pivotal moments of change, where familiar structures fall away and new ways of being slowly emerge. Hosted by South African broadcaster Sean Loots, the podcast explores grief, resilience, transformation, and the lived experience of becoming someone different after life changes unexpectedly.

These are stories of life after interruption, told with honesty, detail, and emotional depth.

Listen to more episodes

Explore more narrative stories of identity, resilience, and life transition wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to Something Shifted: The Soundtrack on Spotify

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