- This and more coming up on the "Whitney Reynolds Show."

- The right arm broke and then my chin went down into my chest and that's what caused the spinal cord injury.

- At the surface, there were thoughts like, oh, I might not make it.

But there was also something deep down, a fire that I had that never left.

- You are watching the "Whitney Reynolds Show."

Be careful.

- [Narrator] The Whitney Reynolds show is supported by BMO, boldly grow the good in business in life.

Kevin O'Connor Law Firm, when it comes to your injuries, we take it personally.

Kevin Kelly, serving your real estate needs in Florida and Illinois at kevinkelly.realestate.

Together at Peace, a foundation with a mission to generate financial support for hospitals, schools, and many charities that provide compassionate bereavement care and foster spiritual resilience.

We are here to inspire tangible moments and share the light of loved ones who have passed away, always doing good in their honor.

And the Respiratory Health Association, healthy lungs and clean air for all.

Special thanks to Lifeway Keefer, Kid Friendly Venues App, Girlstrong empowerment apparel, Mike Dyer with Edward Jones, joeperillo.com, High Five Sports Chicago, ceterforbeautifulliving.com, Deluxe Cleaning Services, and by these sponsors.

(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to the "Whitney Reynolds Show."

Today we are sitting down with people who are forging their own path.

Join us as we hear how they got to be in a league or lane of their own.

Here we believe your story matters.

(crowd cheers) - I think the resilience started like when my family said this is really bad, right?

When you wake up you have to like keep going.

- I was that story.

The one that needed a safe space.

- The key to success is taking risk.

- So we created it.

- Everybody fails.

Everybody takes that one big hit.

What's important is standing back up and keep going.

- You are watching the "Whitney Reynolds Show," be careful.

(crowd cheers) - Welcome to the "Whitney Reynolds Show."

Today we have a remarkable guest, Amber Rangel.

Despite facing a live altering accident that left her paralyzed, Amber's resilience and courage shines through, as she shares her inspiring journey of overcoming obstacles and bravely getting back out there.

She joins us now as a witness of strength and determination.

You are an incredible woman.

Welcome to the show.

- Thank you for having me.

I'm excited to be here today.

- I want you to walk our viewers through the day that everything changed for you.

- I had filled up the car and drove my one hour commute up north to Wisconsin.

Everything was normal.

The only thing that was out of the normal out of the day, I had ran out of cigarettes that morning.

Maybe I had started the morning off more bitter or was just like agitated that I hadn't had a cigarette, which is not graceful to say, but it's like the truth.

It was foggy, it was gonna storm.

We weren't even really quite sure if we were gonna ski in general that day.

- Since the fourth grade, Amber Rangel discovered her love for barefoot water skiing.

Her first steps out on the water, she was immediately hooked and fell in love with competing.

Over the years, it was evident this was more than just a hobby.

It became her purpose.

Yet, what Amber thought was just another training session became a day that her life would change forever.

- There were other people on the boat that were skiing before me, and there were new individuals that were coming to watch me ski, kind of to just ride along on the boat.

So I was already just kind of thrown off.

I had done a couple loops.

I mean it did take a turn when I fell, and I had fallen three feet before the jump basically.

I was going 40 miles an hour and so by the time speed caught up with me, I just kind of like hit the jump.

My arms were extended straight in front of me 'cause I was holding onto the rope.

The right arm broke and then my chin went down into my chest and that's what caused the spinal cord injury.

- You stayed conscious.

- [Amber] Yes.

- Which is huge.

- [Amber] Yes.

- Did you feel pain?

- No pain, nothing, felt nothing, felt fear, felt panic.

- What was going through your mind?

- So I took, I went to like take a breath and move and then I couldn't move.

So then I swallowed that first gump of water and then that's when my eyes opened up and so everything was dark and yellow and like dirty.

- [Whitney] Time seemed to stretch endlessly for Amber.

Laying there severely hurt, every second felt like an eternity.

But amid the fear and uncertainty, she found an unexpected source of resilience within herself and channeled that.

- I watched it a lot.

I watched it over and over and over again on slow motion.

I just didn't realize what happened.

We were recording because it helps me train.

So I would like watch like, oh, your hands were too high, or oh, you need to push your hips forward.

Or you pulled with your left hand.

So that's why you jerked right on the ramp.

- So when they flipped you over.

- [Amber] Yeah.

- They thought you were dead.

- Yeah, the lips were purple and I had swallowed a lot of water.

- Did they have to do any type of resuscitation?

- No so from what I understand, they were going to swim me over to the jump to like do CPR on a hard surface at the jump.

But I had coughed up all the, I came to.

- And were you still mentally with it at this point?

- Yeah, yeah, I remember being awake, flipping over, and just screaming.

- And when you screamed.

- [Amber] Yeah.

- Were you able to then communicate afterwards?

- Oh certainly.

I was screaming, I can't move, call 911.

- Oh, you were advocating for yourself in that moment?

- True, yeah, yeah.

- Do you believe that maybe a guardian angel was watching over you and acting for you or was it you?

- I would like to think it was a guardian angel or some higher power was there with us all.

But I think when the first responders and the community showed up and they used all their resources, that's kind of when the true spirit showed.

- When Amber took the fall, she never imagined that she would suffer an injury much worse than it felt.

Her doctors determined that she had a C5 spinal cord injury, one that damages the fifth cervical vertebrae in the neck.

It left her to be paralyzed from the chest down, limiting movement in her arms without the lower half of her body.

- Once I got to the hospital, they thought that they were gonna have to trach me and that they said that when I woke up from the hospital like surgery, that I wasn't gonna be able to breathe on my own.

Yeah, I woke up and I wasn't on the trach and my wrist could move.

- Do you think that's where your like resilient spirit started going okay?

- [Amber] Yeah.

- I'm beating some odds already.

- I think that that even started before the surgery.

My family came in and they sat me down, and they're like, okay, this is really bad.

But when you wake up, you have to like keep going.

You're not allowed to give up on your communication.

Like we knew we had the tablet ready so that I could talk.

Yeah, it's hard to think about that.

- [Whitney] Yeah.

- Like moment when they said that I was gonna be more disabled than what was already happening.

- [Whitney] Wow.

- So I think the resilience started like when my family said like, it's gonna get worse and you can't, you don't really have an option.

- Well, and it's incredible to even hear that because I see you today and you are, I mean, one of the most self-sufficient people I know.

- [Amber] Yeah.

- Like you, you are one that is not stopping and your story didn't end there.

And I think that's what, when I was finding out more about you, I'm like, I want to be more like you daily in my life because not only did you, you know, get in the wheelchair right after surgery and go out into the lobby, I thought that was very amazing that you, you know, there is something about being around people.

- Yeah.

- And not staying isolated and understanding the new norm.

How long did it take you to say, I wanna get back in the water again?

- I think it was that very next year, had to have been that very July.

I knew that I instantly wanted to do it.

I didn't really know how, when, or who would help me do it logistically.

It was just one of those things I didn't want it to, water skiing was an outlet for me to express myself and to feel good and to just burn steam.

And I felt that one of my only like resources or tool belts was taken from me.

- Following the tragic accident, Amber faced an uphill battle and some PTSD.

She refused however, to let her circumstances define her future.

Today, Amber is not only living a full and vibrant life, but she is also actively dating and demonstrating that love and connection can thrive under any condition.

With graduation ahead, she has found new passion for adaptive scuba diving.

This sport has allowed her to experience the freedom and joy she once felt in the water.

She also is an active advocate for people with disabilities, showing the world with the right determination and support, you can make waves and change the world.

Thank you so much for coming on.

- Yes, thank you for having me.

(upbeat music) - Next up we have someone who inspires through his voice.

With his gift, he brings communities together from around the world.

(operatic music) - At the surface there were thoughts like, oh, I might not make it.

But there was also something deep down, a fire that I had that never left.

- When did you know that you had this voice inside of you?

- Yeah, so it's so interesting.

My sister was the first person that really sang in my family.

And so she was the one that I always kind of looked up to growing up 'cause I always wanted to sing.

And so one time we were watching "Sister Act Two."

- Oh yeah, that'll get you going.

(Keanon laughs) - And so my sister was singing "Joyful Joyful."

And my brother walked in the room.

He was like, oh Keenan, you should sing some of that as well.

And I was like, okay, sure, I'll sing a little bit.

And he is like, oh, Keanon sings it better than you.

Like you need to be, you need to join the choir.

- So many kids, you know, when they say, oh, I wanna be the next so-and-so or I wanna be on TV, they're like, okay, good luck, you and everybody else.

- A hundred percent.

- But your parents really gave you this like fearless mentality.

- Yeah.

Being able, like at a young age, my parents enrolling my sister and I in the Chicago Children's Choir.

It was such a stable organization, that had so many things already in place that it was kinda like if they dropped us off there, they knew that we would get everything that we need to get.

So we didn't have to do it.

For my sister and I, there was not a lot of like running around.

It was like, that was the Chicago Children's Choir from eight years of age until 18.

- And I'm hearing a little bit of sacrifices from both your parents.

Let's talk about that a little bit.

So your mom sacrificed by actually getting to be.

- Yeah.

- Full on mom.

- Yeah.

She has her own aspirations that I realized she did put on hold.

I didn't, at the time I did not realize that.

But talking to her today, I realized how much she sacrificed in order to make sure that we felt supported and like we could do whatever we wanted to do as children and express ourselves.

And my father, he's the person who always taught me how hard to work and how to hustle and how to make it, you know, make ends meet in so many different ways.

Because I'll say even if we did have a struggle, we never knew about it.

- Let's talk about your days of becoming a janitor, going from graduation, which of course, we all graduate and we think, okay, sky's the limit.

- Mhm.

- But you also had to make it.

- Yeah.

When I graduated, I, you know, I don't know what I thought, what happened.

What I thought would happen was I would graduate from university and then go on and.

- Go on tour.

- Yeah touring or singing somewhere.

And it just did not happen like that.

I just spent like $200,000 on school.

- On this voice?

- Yes.

And to think that this is what will be my next step.

But, you know, I had a come to Jesus moment and I said, you know what?

Let this be just a transition thing, while I'm like getting my feet wet.

And one year turned into almost 10, but I don't know, my parents always taught me to go into every situation with a positive attitude.

And though I was cleaning offices and doing things that I never would've imagined that I would be doing, I always showed up just in good spirit.

- When you were wrestling with those emotions, did you ever have a moment where you thought, maybe I won't make it?

- At the surface there were thoughts like, oh, I might not make it, but there was also something deep down, a fire that I had that never left.

- When you sing and I've watched you, you sing with conviction.

- Yeah.

- When you sing, do you ever think about those faces that helped shape you?

- Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent.

I sing and I also teach my students that it's just not enough to have a beautiful voice.

Every time we open our mouths, we tell a story.

- What is your proudest moment thus far?

- My proudest moment thus far, aye, is so, I've done so many things that I never imagined I would do.

- Name me a few.

- Like singing at Carnegie Hall, traveling to Scotland and singing lead roles.

One very exciting moment I had, I was in Columbia, in Bocata and I was doing the opera "Noah's Flood."

And I was Noah, I was the title role, and then I had Noah's wife.

It was just me and her, and then 2,000 chorus members.

- [Whitney] Wow.

- [Keanon] 2000 chorus members.

- What do you hope your music accomplishes?

- I hope that it inspires people to do something against the grain or something fearless.

(operatic music) - Now to a familiar face, who reminds us we all have a story and some chapters are very different.

- You are watching the "Whitney Reynolds Show," be careful.

- We were sharing laughs and a drink as the story behind comedian and entrepreneur, Dan Aykroyd, unfolded.

We sat down with him during an exciting time in his ongoing career.

Tonight's a big night for so many reasons.

Let's get right to what's happening behind us because I mean, there's a lot going on.

- Well, it's international trade.

This is a Canadian vodka company, tonight working with Sony Wonder Verse, a Japanese American company, a conglomerate, to give the consumer a clean drinking experience because there's no additives in Bristol head vodkas.

I must say that the beverage industry is extremely satisfying because you meet people, on a movie, you meet people, and then they're gone two months later.

You never see 'em again.

The beverage industry, you make, you build relationships, you work together to make a success.

And so I've been really having fun meeting wonderful people like Michael Binstein, who owns Binny's.

- [Whitney] And the launch of this new line was very full circle.

Being in Chicago, this is where his whole world changed.

- I got my H1, first working visa here when we came down to do Second City in '74.

You see, the Canadian company came and the US company went back up and our teacher was Joe Flaherty and he trained Levy, he trained Gil, he trained Candy, trained myself, Murray, both Murray brothers.

- Wow.

- So, you know, we miss him.

And that was a beautiful experience to come and work with the Second City stage, the original Second City stage and technical crew.

And so '74 was when I got my first, the first H1 visa and got to be in the States.

It's the city that adopted me and I've sort of adopted it.

You know, the contacts are fun.

Then you have friends that last for a long time, much longer, you know, than in the movie business.

Although Jamie Lee Curtis will always be a friend and Billy and people like that, yeah.

- Well, "My Girl," one of my favorite movies.

Was that one that you loved 'cause it was a different type of role?

- I did love that because it was well written.

It was written by a woman whose father was a funeral director.

And it was a beautiful, heartfelt story about, you know, the way we deal with grief.

- Hmm.

- Unfortunately, grief is the price of love as we know.

And that movie depicted it in a marvelous, classy way.

- There are so many kids that have watched you over the years that are now adults like me.

And I have to say, what would you wanna say to these people that have watched you over the years?

- About "Ghostbusters," I would say to those who are watching, you know, do it with family.

You know, get together, do some screenings, go to the films with family.

It's a family experience and I'm gratified that it's being passed on to the next generation.

So I would say that, to encourage parents to pass it on to the next generation and get that next core of Ghostbusters cadets out here.

- Does your family think you're funny?

- I get a laugh occasionally out of them.

- Yeah?

We just gotta bring the people here.

That's good.

- I get a laugh sometimes.

- Are you witty like that at home?

Like when you're on TV?

Is there a different side of you at home?

I'm sure there is.

- Oh, I've got a bit of a caustic side I suppose, which comes from my mother.

You know, I lay on the zingers, I guess, you know.

And I push buttons.

That is bad because I know with my children and you know, those that I love and live with, that I can push their buttons and sometimes it's just too tempting.

- Oh, it's tempting.

- You get a reaction, you know, you get a reaction and, you know, I knew I'd get that out of them.

(Dan laughs) I think about the future and I think about, you know, how I can impact people's lives positively by maybe creating another piece of entertainment or two, or just living a happy and healthy life if I can manage to and everything in moderation.

- Thank you so much.

- Sure, take care.

- Excited to celebrate you tonight.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Three years of trying since Talladega, April 21, Brad Keselowski wins the Goodyear 400.

- [Whitney] All for change, well, he's used to changing lanes and in fast gear.

Brad Keselowski chats with us about his biggest pivot yet, becoming a driver owned racer in NASCAR.

- When I left a really established team with Penske Racing and Team Penske and NASCAR at all kinds of wins and championships, and took on a new challenge of, all right, I'm going to, you know, keep driving, but I'm also gonna own part of the team.

And, you know, there was a big conversion there.

It's kinda like, all right, we're starting over as an entirely different team and trying to rebuild really almost from the ground up in some ways.

And, you know, you have to accept the fact that it was, in some ways a restart of my career and my life.

- Oh.

- And that that wasn't gonna be easy and there was gonna be pain points, but, and then surrounding yourself with good people that help you maintain your confidence through that process.

- What gave you the oomph to go for it?

- You know, I think I'm just a natural risk taker to some degree.

I mean, it kind of goes without saying being a race car driver.

- Yeah.

- But even being a race car driver, it's still hard to take career risk opportunities, right?

When you have a stable place in your life, you know, I get a lot of courage and wisdom from reading.

I read a lot about other successful people and almost every time, the key to success is taking risks.

Now you hope you take smart risks.

You know, you don't wanna take a bad risk or a risk that's, you know, a low percentage shot of succeeding or if it does succeed, there's not that big of a payoff.

You want take, in my opinion, smart risks, which are, you know, generally higher percentage shots that have big rewards to 'em.

And I really think that's the secret to success in all aspects of life.

- And you keep saying your team.

I love that.

So driver owned.

- [Brad] Yeah.

- Explain that.

- So I drive the race car and I own an interest in the team.

So it's considered a driver owner team.

And really what makes that kinda unique to NASCAR is if you go back 40, 50 years ago, that was how a lot of the teams are.

- Hmm.

- But there was kind of this seismic shift, you know, probably in the eighties to nineties, where the team owners came in and just hired great drivers and said, hey, look, I just want you to focus on driving.

We'll build a great team.

We'll go find the sponsors and pay all the bills, and you just go be a race car driver.

And those teams really dominated in a lot of ways.

Credit to our team that does the work where I just kind of get to play the vision and, you know, meet a few people and shake a few hands.

But I'm honored to be a part of it.

And I think it's a really important part of who I am.

- It is.

And I was told going into this interview, I was gonna like you, but now I just adore you, your spirit, and the way you give back.

Today, we heard stories from those who were dealt a difficult hand, but they didn't settle for it.

Instead, they turned it into something so much more.

How will you choose not to settle?

Remember, your story matters.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] The "Whitney Reynolds Show" is supported by BMO, boldly grow the good in business and life.

Kevin O'Connor Law Firm, when it comes to your injuries, we take it personally.

Kevin Kelly, serving your real estate needs in Florida and Illinois at kevinkelly.realestate.

Together at Peace, a foundation with a mission to generate financial support for hospitals, schools, and many charities that provide compassionate bereavement care and foster spiritual resilience.

We are here to inspire tangible moments and share the light of loved ones who have passed away, always doing good in their honor.

And the Respiratory Health Association, healthy lungs and clean air for all.

Special thanks to Lifeway Keefer, Kid Friendly Venues App, Girlstrong empowerment apparel, Mike Dyer with Edward Jones, joeperillo.com, High Five Sports Chicago, centerforbeautifulliving.com, Deluxe Cleaning Services, and by these sponsors.

- [Whitney] Coming up on the "Whitney Reynolds Show's" current season.

- We didn't see ourselves doing this movie right out of the gate, but it was just such a, it's such a great story.

And so we kind of felt like if you watch "Duck Dynasty," you appreciated that, then you gotta go back and see this because it, almost none of it happened.

You know, it almost was all, you know, split up and was over before it ever started.

- I'm Janet Singer Applefield, a Holocaust survivor.

I was born in Krakow, Poland.

When the Nazis invaded Poland, my parents made desperate attempts to escape.

And many, many times they tried, but they were unsuccessful.

My identity was changed several times because it was safer not to be Jewish obviously.

- The news was on and there was a program about a boy, a local boy who was bullied at school, and he was only eight years old, and he took his own life.

You think, what can I do?

What little things could I do?

Or what big things could I do to help this problem?

And I love to write.

Okay, well maybe I can turn this into something educational, a teaching moment.

- You know, as time went on, my father became very possessive with my mother.

They were going through a divorce, and, you know, one day decided that it was time for it all to end.

And he took his life and my mother's life.

And I think obtaining that first job, working in a kitchen, washing dishes, it gave me a light of, you know, being able to obtain something almost immediately.

- I honestly, most of the colleges that I've gotten accepted into, were my dream colleges.

- You got accepted into colleges?

- Yeah.

- How many?

- About 15.

It's a lot.

- [Narrator 2] Want to stay connected to all things Whitney Reynolds?

Well follow us on social media and you'll get exclusive content and updates from the show.

All episodes are available for streaming, anytime.

- [Children] I love me!

(bright music)