SEASON: 3 EPISODE: 27
Episode Overview:
Welcome to the Becoming Preferred podcast. Today we're diving deep into a narrative that's both heart-wrenching and incredibly inspiring. Our guest is Kaleb Dahlgren, a name that resonates with resilience, hope, and the power of the human spirit to overcome the unimaginable.
Kaleb, a survivor of the tragic 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, has turned a story of profound loss into one of purpose and impact. Beyond surviving, he's thriving - as a student, an advocate for diabetes and mental health, and a bestselling author. His journey is a testament to the strength found in vulnerability and the importance of sharing our stories to connect, heal, and inspire. This episode is about the power of the human spirit, the importance of community, and the unstoppable force of a determined heart. Join me now for my conversation with Kaleb Dahlgren.
Guest Bio:
From a young age, Kaleb had no choice but to be resilient. His hockey career was threatened before it started by a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes at 4 years old. Yet Kaleb proved his doctors and coaches wrong by going on to play hockey at an elite level. During his career, he played for the Humboldt Broncos - a team that made national news when their bus collided with a transport truck. The accident took away 16 lives and left only 13 survivors, many of them with lifelong injuries.
Kaleb is one of the survivors.
Once he recovered, Kaleb returned to the ice to play for York University’s varsity hockey team. While at York, he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree graduating as Valedictorian, Magna Cum Laude, and Varsity Athletics Male Graduate of the Year in April 2021. Currently, Kaleb is studying to become a Doctor of Chiropractic.
Kaleb is dedicated to helping others, whether that’s through sharing his story or through his community volunteer work. He is the founder of Dahlgren’s Diabeauties, a mentorship program designed in 2017 to give back to children with Type 1 diabetes. Through this program, he is able to raise awareness, support, and guidance to his community of Diabeauties. Kaleb is also the recipient of the Canadian Volunteer Award for Emerging Leader of the Prairies, the National JDRF Young Volunteer of the Year award, and dozens of other accolades for his community service.
Somewhere in the whirlwind of life, Kaleb found time to become a #1 Bestselling Author for his memoir, Crossroads, the story of his life thus far. As a speaker, he is known for his honesty, his inspiration, and his captivating storytelling.
In the face of insurmountable odds, he shows us that through perseverance you can do anything.
Resource Links:
Insight Gold Timestamps:
03:39 The doctor called in my parents and said that Kaleb is a type 1 diabetic
05:46 The beauty of the illness was the fact that it made me develop a lot of resiliency….
07:00 Our bus collided, T-Boned into a semi truck trailer
08:30 I was in a state called post traumatic amnesia
10:51 What led you down the road to say, hey, I'm going to do a book?
12:28 That's where the inspiration came from, is my professor
14:20 Can you share some strategies or mindsets that have helped you maintain resilience?
15:46 One more big piece was just accepting and forgiveness
17:25 I think forgiveness is so powerful
19:25 Darcy Hogan, our head coach at Humboldt, he was really special
20:41 I feel like community is family
22:56 Mental wellness is so critical
24:18 30 minutes of physical activity every day, and 3 liters of water, and sleeping for 7 to 8 hours a night
27:29 It's how you choose a positive path or a negative path
28:25 Being true to who you are, is what makes you unique
30:06 Went to see the top neurologist in North America
31:58 I have lots of goals and aspirations for the future
33:27 The book is called Crossroads
Connect Socially:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalebdahlgren/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kalebdahlgren16
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KalebDahlgren
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalebdahlgren/
Kaleb Dahlgren - Humboldt Crash Survivor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbL9iv0nD-k
Email: Kd@kalebdahlgren.com
Sponsors:
Rainmaker Digital Solutions: https://www.rainmakerdigitalsolutions.com/
Resources: https://becomingpreferred-podcast.com/resources/
Next Episode: Just Add a Zero with Chad Jenkins!
