Rise Like A Phoenix: Q&A with Author, Steve Bottrill

On March 22, 1996, Chatham resident, Steve Bottrill, got into a terrible motor vehicle accident, which took a turn that no one saw coming. After being hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, and in a coma for 10 days, he was determined to find a way to tell the world that his time here wasn’t up yet.  A single tear drop saved his life. 

With a new lease on life, author, motivational speaker and exercise therapist, Steve Bottrill is sharing his journey in his book "Overcoming Impossible Odds-The Steve Bottrill Story" and inspiring others to live their best lives, no matter what odds are thrown at them. 

Enjoy my Q&A with author, Steve Bottrill below!  

Copyright Image: Steve Bottrill

1. It’s been many years since your motor vehicle accident, what are still some challenges that you face in your daily life?

I can’t see properly and my depth perception is not accurate, so I am not good at sports anymore. My reaction time is slower too since I can’t see. I am unable to move my eyeballs downward. 

As it is noticeable, I do look different.  I also have memory problems, but I do my best. Physically, I deal with chronic back pain, however moving my body in whatever way feels comfortable is still important to do. 

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2. There has always been an impossible beauty standard to uphold in our society, and obviously, your accident left a lot of scars.  Since you are often in front of many people with your presentations, do you feel any pressure to undergo any aesthetic treatments or are you content with your unique profile?

I don’t feel pressure to undergo surgery, although it would be nice. I have nerve damage in my eye, that cannot be fixed. 

I view myself as a very unique person, but of course, sometimes it is annoying to be seen by others as different and strange. 

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3. Are there any favourite spots in Chatham that you like to go to that just rejuvenate you after a long day? 

I really enjoy going out to eat at local restaurants for breakfast and dinner, particularly non-chained restaurants. 

My favourite cuisine is fish and chips.

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4. Finally, what can be found on your playlist when you’re exercising? It’s always interesting to know what people are listening to when they want that release of dopamine and serotonin from our bodies!

I like to exercise to AC/DC and heavier music. I enjoy dance music in the 125 bpm range.

I also have many Youtube videos that I've done to help others who want to exercise at their own pace and who may be dealing with injuries. Exercise is a great stress buster too!

For more information on Steve, check out the links below!

💜You can purchase Steve's book on Amazon

💜IG: @coma_to_inspiration

Movie Review: 15 Reasons To Live

Have you ever made a list? Of course you have, whether it is a grocery list, general to-do list, or even the elusive bucket-list, these lists show a piece of our identity. In the film, 15 Reasons To Live, director Alan Zweig converses with many eclectic people who share their own reasons for existing. Positively stirred up by author, Ray Robertson’s collection of essays “Why Not? 15 Reasons to Live,” Alan takes a real look at the themes pertaining to love, intoxication, humour, solitude, work, duty, home and death.

15 Reasons To Live 

In a forth-right, yet conversational style, Alan goes beyond just the surface level of interviewing, allowing an honest platform for each person to share a personal story or memory as they vividly remember it.

Meet a young and inquisitive girl who is the constant literal punching bag at her Catholic school and is kicked out, due to not partaking in rituals and her questionable faith. Experience the life of an overwhelmed mother of five, who oddly finds sanctuary people-watching in a busy shopping mall.

Next, against all odds, after a serious stroke, an older man uses his determination to learn how to read again, even if it takes an entire day to read one single page of a book. A wealthy Chinese man is stuck in an unfulfilling career that keeps him in a depressive and suicidal state, until moving to Canada, where he is given a second lease on life and finds his true calling as a massage therapist.

There are also plenty of other stories to embrace, as the film carries on, in a slow but methodical pace.

I would definitely recommend viewing this film with your heart and mind fully open. Encounter some fascinating human miracles. The gambit of emotions that is felt throughout the film might seem like a pendulum, but I think that is truly what Alan was hoping for.

It’s all about taking a deeper look inside of our souls, asking questions that seem on some level beyond what we could fathom of explain to another person. It is also about the collective experience, sharing our memories, wisdom, and opportunities for growth and change, which keeps us in tune with the world that we live in and those that we hold a special place for to accompany us through life.

In the final moments of the film, it is evident that by listening to each story, and seeing each person through a different pair of eyes, our similarities outweigh our differences, and we are all connected.