Don’t Tap Out to Tired: Randi-Lee Bowslaugh on Depression, Grit, and Real Recovery (Ep. 270)
The Joe Rooz Show · Joe Russiello
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Show Notes
Tonight we sit down with Randi-Lee Bowslaugh — Canadian National Champion kickboxer, Pan-American Games silver medalist, cancer survivor, author, and outspoken mental health advocate.
From living with depression since the age of 14 to receiving an adult diagnosis of Autism and CPTSD in her 30s, Randi-Lee’s journey is one of grit, clarity, and refusing to quit. She worked more than six years in frontline social services after graduating top of her class in Community and Justice Services, gaining firsthand insight into addiction, recovery, and marginalized communities.
We discuss her book Good-Bye Too Soon, written after losing her brother to overdose, and the difficult balance of loving someone while protecting yourself. We also explore how combat sports forged her mental toughness, how cancer reshaped her perspective, and what resilience actually looks like when you don’t feel strong.
Honest, intense, and unexpectedly funny, this conversation is about grit, compassion, and choosing discipline when motivation is gone.
Resources mentioned: Randy’s website (rbwriting.ca), The Write or Die Show on YouTube and podcast platforms, and her book Goodbye Too Soon: A Family’s Loss by Drug Overdose (expanded edition) on Amazon. For immediate peer support, consider attending an AA/NA meeting locally or online.
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(00:00:54) Cold open, intros, and a rough week
(00:01:41) Host apologies, illness, work call, and lunar eclipse
(00:05:06) Tonight’s theme: depression, grit, and discipline
(00:06:59) Housekeeping: contact, email, comments, platforms, live schedule
(00:09:20) Guest intro: Randy Lee Boslaw—resilience and recovery
(00:11:08) Setting the tone: serious topics with humor
(00:17:38) Icebreakers: time freeze and stubbornness over caffeine
(00:23:06) Tea, coffee detour, and comfort routines
(00:28:01) Why social services? Early instincts and placements
(00:33:00) Inside a men’s recovery house: relapse, return, and hope
(00:36:11) Realizing difference: depression and later autism diagnosis
(00:39:00) Why speak openly about mental health
(00:43:00) Kickboxing origin story and chronic pain setbacks
(00:46:47) Training with depression: endorphins, goals, and meds
(00:55:19) Pivot to the book: Goodbye Too Soon
(00:56:14) Expanded edition: research, grief, and education
(00:58:30) Boundaries and loving from a distance
(01:03:01) Safety without abandoning love: hard family choices
(01:08:04) What families should understand and first steps
(01:11:31) AA, NA, and opening the door to help
(01:11:37) Never tap out to tired: the mantra’s origin
(01:14:13) One takeaway and final reflections
(01:15:49) Where to find Randy: books, site, and socials
(01:17:48) Wrap-up: calls to action and closing monologue
- Wayne Rankin
- Rosanna Rankin
- Carolina Jimenez