S2 E53: Limitless Life with Kyle Mengelkamp

Written By Eryn Martin

Boom! You have a brain injury. Life as you knew it is forever changed. Your brain injury is a time of rebirth; a time to become something greater. Kyle Mengelkamp of Stroke of Genius joins us in this episode to talk about our potential. He introduces the concepts of resilience, mentorship, perseverance, vulnerability, and curiosity for all your life can be. There is life after injury and it is limitless! Listen for more inspiration and resources to help you move forward.

In this episode:

  • Kyle’s survivor story as a person who experienced a brain aneurysm at age 11

    • The Kyle Style- Kyle’s way of working with his right arm weakness to continue basketball

    • Growing up with changed abilities from a stroke

      • You’re finding yourself on top of finding yourself

      • Lots of struggle and defeat

      • Having a strong mentor through his basketball coach really helped Kyle get through it 

        • His coach truly cared.  He was a trusted adult who was hard but fair.  Someone he could really respect and learn from.

        • The sport mentality gave him purpose and a goal

        • In sports you keep falling down but you are able to pick yourself back up, or someone would be there to help pick you up and together you make it to the next goal.  It taught Kyle valuable lessons that helped him recover

      • Connecting with and dating another pediatric stroke survivor gave him life and a purpose to live.  It gave him someone to go on the adventure with. He was at his lowest and meeting his girlfriend, Valerie, helped get him through.  

        • See their reunion in the series of movies Roadtrip which tells stories of survivors across the country

        • This connection gave him the confidence to be able to step out on his own two feet.

        • You have to go on a new adventure and on a new path to figure out who you are and who you are meant to be.  If you always hold onto what is comfortable you won’t grow. 

        • Can’t sit in the trauma of your injury

    • We all lived through stroke to be reborn.  We have something greater that we can become.  

      • You eventually integrate all you’ve learned and take a leap of faith into your new self

      • We can visit the past for life lessons but living in it creates depression.  Constantly thinking about the future can lead to anxiety.  All we have is the present.

  • Kyle’s transition from living his life after stroke to giving back to the brain injury community

    • Kyle went to school for film

    • At a film festival he met Tammy who helped him start Stroke of Genius

    • Roadtrip is his first brain injury movie. A reunion with Valerie. A story of overcoming and thriving through tragedy.  Moving forward, taking risks.  Failing and stumbling is part of the journey.  

    • You take a lot of missed shots to make one

    • When you have something on the horizon it helps you move forward.  If you don’t know what is on the horizon, that’s ok, you’re working on it.  When something appears on the horizon, go for it!

      • All the work you are putting in will pay off

      • Don’t allow the bad days to be an excuse to quit 

  • Mindset and Taking the next steps in life after tragedy

    • Realizing every person has a different perspective of you helps.  Having other people support you with real, rawness helps create the fire in you to go get it.

    • Stroke of Genius is that moment when you choose how to live the rest of your life.  It comes through conversation and enriching the lives of others. 

    • Having a coachable mindset allows you to be receptive to other options and opportunities in your life. 

    • Mentors help you see how you get to the next step.  You have to really listen.

  • Stroke of Genius

    • Movies:

      • Roadtrip: survivor story videos across the country

      • Reborn Decades Apart: a movie that’s a conversation between 3 basketball players: Kyle, Tymiak, and Corey; who have all experienced stroke.

    • Purpose: 

      • Anyone can create a possibility in their new life after brain injury–anyone! 

      • Everyone has the opportunity to be limitless; the only thing that stops you is you.

      • The number one skill is vulnerability.  The key to being limitless is being truthful and vulnerable.  You can do this in a way that is empowering and drives you forward. 

      • Our story begins the day we woke up and survived.  A Stroke of Genius is about what’s next and creating what is next. 

      • It gives inspiration of hope and a future by focusing on life after stroke

      • You eventually get to a point where you don’t know if it is brain injury or ‘normal.’ You still have the ability to grow and develop regardless of the cause.

      • Learning to live through hardship, develop, and grow

    • The Brain Bar: a gathering of people looking to leverage the power of our brains

      • Speakers share knowledge or insights to provide different perspectives.  Provides learning opportunities.

      • Meet and greet networking afterwards to converse and get ideas. 

    • Stroke of Genius: the moment that you choose how to live the rest of your life.  It comes through conversation.  Be open and curious about what comes up for you.  Everybody has their own version of a world for you.  It’s up to you to listen to your options and move on what is right for you.  

  • Support us at:

  • Patreon

  • Donate section on our website.  10% of profits go to our favorite non-profit of the moment

Eryn Martin
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S2 E54: Tips for Recovery with Dr. Nidhi Shah DPT
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S2 E52: Headaches Handled: Fasting for Relief with Susannah Juteau, Registered Dietician