Awkward and Grateful With Kristin Govers
Kristin Govers is the star and creator of the smash-hit Fringe play, The Awkward Ballerina. Her playful, heartfelt and gripping one-woman show tells a true story about growing up with big dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, when you also have cerebral palsy. Although she never made it onto the Nutcracker stage, Kristin is the most beautiful and sincere ballerina that I have ever met. Her message is close to my heart, since many of my favourite peeps have cerebral palsy, including my dearly departed honorary brother Glendon. And the great news is—Kristin’s episode is relatively family-friendly!
The Hot Topics: Cerebral Palsy, Bullying, Ableism, and More
What is cerebral palsy anyways? Turns out CP is radically different for everyone. Kristen describes how her disability influences her day-to-day, and how she stays grateful, despite certain challenges.
Mean Kids and Bullying. Oh my goodness, kids are the meanest! And Kristin got the brunt of it. Hear how she survived severe bullying, with stories on how to find healing and peace decades later.
Inspiration Porn and Ableism. Can you offer an inspirational message without degrading the experience of a person with a disability? Listen to what Kristin has to say.
Dating With a Disability. How Kristin transcended the horrors of high school dances and mediocre boyfriends to find her beautiful love story and five-star husband Marc.
The Listener Question. Wishing Upon a Star wonders if she should sign up for the theatre program she’s been dreaming of, even if it means quitting her job and asking her partner for financial support. Erica and Kristin don’t have all the answers—but they have thoughts.
It was so fun to land a surprise visit from Kristin’s VIP family Marc and Patrick, rounded up with a not-to-be-missed rendition of Wagon Wheel.
Kristin onstage, Photo Credit Joseph Ste-Marie
In honour of her fringe show, Kristin founded Two Left Feet Productions MTL. Beyond theatre and writing, her company aims to touch hearts, promote inclusivity, and raise awareness about what it’s like to live with a disability. These days, Kristin is getting ready to perform her new show called Pregnant! And It’s Still Awkward. And we can’t wait.
Follow Kristin on Instagram and Facebook
Check out her website at Two Left Feet Productions MTL
Thumbnail Photo Credit: Joseph Ste-Marie (Kristin), Mandy Fontana from Pixabay (Ballet Slippers)
Follow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. Send a spicy or serious listener questions to any of these places and make Erica’s day.
Thank you so much for listening! Stay tuned for more episodes extra soon. Don’t forget to follow This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life on your favourite podcast platform. And if you enjoyed the episode, I would be immensely grateful if you could share it with a friend and/or leave a kind and enthusiastic rating and review.
Mixing, Ukulele, and Cover Art by Erica J. Schmidt in Montréal, Quebec.
Special thanks to Taes Leavitt (darling big sister, Big Heart Journey), Sherwin Tjia (technical and creative advisor, Sherwin’s Quirky Events), and my dearly departed Eileen Gun, whose generous gift helped to fund my new podcast equipment.
This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life is brought to you by Lil and Bud dog cards, purchasable at ericajschmidt.com/merch. If you would like to sponsor the podcast, I would love to plug your product, service, or project as long as it doesn’t harm any people or their bodies. Please get in touch via my website or Instagram.
Listener Question from Wishing Upon a Star
Dear Erica (and Kristin),
I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I was just accepted in a theatre program in college. I'm going to be almost ten years older than most of the other students attending. I currently have a job I like in customer service which can give me a decent-ish wage, insurance, an 8 to 4 Monday to Friday schedule. It's not my dream job and I don't have a diploma, but I enjoy it and the stability it brings.
I'm hesitating on whether or not I actually do the theatre program. I was warned that it was very demanding and I probably couldn't work part-time at my job that I love, or any other job for that matter.
To make matters more complicated, it took me about 8 years to build up the courage to apply for the program. I'm also currently in a serious relationship with a man who's planning to propose before 2025. He has his whole adult life planned out: a *really* good salary, insurance with insurance and he wants to buy a house and get a dog and travel. I don't want to feel like a financial burden to him.
I'm just really worried about getting in (Canadian) student debt for 3 years, only to end up back at this same service worker job.
Should I go back to school? Keep my job? How can I strengthen my relationship with the man of my dreams?
Love, Wishing Upon a Star
