Ben McKelvey, Craig Semple, Gregory P Smith. Moderator: Ashley Kalagian Blunt

Each of these speakers has hit rock bottom, but managed to build something positive from the rubble. For former ‘forest recluse’ Gregory P. Smith, a lightbulb moment on a park bench transformed a life of homelessness and addiction into academia and contentment. For career policeman Craig Semple, a severe episode of PTSD triggered a turn to mental health advocacy. And for Ben McKelvey, it took a stroke and a heart attack to force him to assess his trauma and ‘remake’ himself. Together we consider trauma, masculinity, and the chance to start over.