From Stroke Survivor to NBA Mindset Coach: Coach Dar | Ep25

Coach Dar was just 25 years old when a chiropractic neck adjustment led to a stroke that changed the course of her life. One moment she was treating traumatic brain injury and stroke patients at a world-renowned hospital — the next, she became the patient herself. Doctors told her she could die at any moment if the blood clot in her brain dislodged. She was warned not to run, not to get pregnant, and to completely rethink the future she had planned for herself.What followed were decades of rebuilding through chronic health struggles, emotional isolation, multiple strokes, and an intense drive to prove herself through work. Along the way, she became a healthcare executive and eventually found herself coaching elite athletes and executives at the highest levels of performance, including players within the Phoenix Suns organization.In this episode of The Rock Bottom Podcast, Coach Dar shares the terrifying details of her first stroke, what it felt like to believe she was watching herself die during her third stroke, and how those experiences shaped her philosophy on resilience, adversity, leadership, and purpose. She also opens up about the emotional toll of being told she could never have children, the failures she witnessed inside the healthcare system, and why people must become advocates for their own health.Coach DarWebsite: https://www.coachdar.comLinktree: linktr.ee/thecoachdarCoach Dar's Book: a.co/d/eeOhKTlDisclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional before making changes to your health routine.Chapters00:00 Coming Up This Episode00:22 Podcast Intro: Coach Dar’s Story01:06 Interview Begins: Welcome Coach Dar02:15 The Chiropractic Adjustment That Changed Everything03:24 Misdiagnosed Stroke & Torn Artery05:27 “You Could Die Any Day”08:02 Becoming a Healthcare Executive at 2810:33 How She Started Coaching Elite Athletes11:02 “I’ve Had Three Strokes Now”14:16 The Third Stroke & “Watching Myself Die”16:56 “When You Ask for Easy, You’re Almost Flatlining”19:44 Did Mindset Push Her Too Far?23:05 Living With the Fear of Another Stroke26:03 The Emotional Cost of Being Told She Couldn’t Have Kids29:06 Why You Must Advocate for Yourself in Healthcare31:58 Dr. Donese Worden at the Hospital33:28 Rebuilding Her Brain After Stroke35:13 Fighting Insurance & Hospital Billing40:40 Her Daily Self-Care & Recovery Routine43:39 “Have a Friend for Every Decade”45:16 Rock Bottom Score: “I was at a one”46:46 The Blackberry Message That Changed Her Life48:22 Life Now: “I’m at an eight or nine”Presented by: @JigsawHealthTVSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Zpj6O04BDznHju7zG8ErR?si=bc40afcbe5b145c1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rock-bottom-podcast/id1809787645Do you have a health horror story that inspires? Apply to be a guest on the podcast:https://forms.gle/aqwJVZXAFFjnyTyS8