Danielle Kaplan, Author of the Book I Married A Thrill-Seeker: A Cautious Wife’s Memoir of Her Husband’s Risk-Taking and Their Long Road to Recovery

As we continue to honor Valentine’s Day and all things LOVE, this week’s episode features the amazing story in first-time author, Danielle Kaplan’s book, I Married A Thrill-Seeker: A Cautious Wife’s Memoir of Her Husband’s Risk-Taking and Their Long Road to Recovery. For fans of memories of trauma and recovery and for anyone living and loving a risk-taker, comes one man’s struggle to overcome a one percent chance at survival as told through the eyes of his wife, his high school sweetheart, who was his greatest ally. The book recalls the tale of Danielle’s type-A and adrenaline-junkie husband, Stephen Kaplan — former CFO and CEO of Deciem Beauty Group — as he sets off to take one last solo road trip on his motorcycle, from Toronto, Ontario to near Fairbanks, Alaska. Danielle knows it’s the last ‘adrenaline rush’ trip he’ll take on the bike–he’s promised to give it up for good.

On the other hand, Steve expected to make it home with no drama, no unnecessary risks, just the freedom of the open road and the wind on his face. But after hitting a pothole while driving at a high speed in rain at dusk, it’s the ending neither of them dreamed of when he crashes on a remote highway in the Yukon, he can’t move, and its hours before he can receive medical treatment.

In this candid interview, Danielle and I sat down to discuss how this event changed her, her husband’s and her children’s lives in an instant, how she came to terms with Steve’s adrenaline-junkie antics & found an appreciation for it amidst having to make unbearable decisions, experiencing miraculous moments, how as a former speech pathologist she became her husband’s greatest advocate - fighting by his side the entire time, through every step forward and step back as Steve regained his health and lots more in what can only be described as a true testament of luck, love, and incredible fortitude given Steve’s injuries that left him with a less than one percent survival rate.