Summary
Mikey Allen is on a tour of duty to Afghanistan when he is caught up in a landmine blast. He is physically unharmed but witnessing the event leaves him with mental scars that look set to destroy his life. He finds a way to combat the trauma that is both majestic and unique. He tells Jane Garvey his story.
Please be aware that this interview references suicide.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, I'm Greg Jenner. I'm the host of Your Dead to Me, where the best names in comedy and history |
| 0:05.5 | join me to learn about and laugh at the past. You are a traitor. And in the new series, we'll meet |
| 0:11.2 | Aristotle. I think he might have been a time traveller. Someone who's like almost a glitch. |
| 0:15.3 | We'll dive into the causes of the British Civil Wars in the 1600s. In England at this period, |
| 0:19.8 | there's people can't get on the housing ladder. |
| 0:21.5 | This sounds familiar. And we'll discover the arts and crafts movement. I love the clothes. I love |
| 0:26.5 | the vibe. Yes, we're a comedy show that takes history seriously and then laughs at it. You're dead to me. |
| 0:31.3 | Listen first on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:38.0 | Hi there. Now, if you've listened to LifeChanging in the past, you'll know that we always talk to somebody who's been through a pivotal moment, something that's transformed their life. |
| 0:47.0 | And what we're really trying to find out is how they got through it, what helped them to survive it. |
| 0:52.8 | My guest today is Mikey Allen, and he went through |
| 0:56.2 | something so difficult. It led to him having some really, really tough times. We are going to be |
| 1:01.7 | talking about suicide in this edition. What is unique and remarkable about Mikey is what |
| 1:08.0 | he's done to try to overcome everything. It is by any standards a staggering physical achievement. |
| 1:14.7 | Mikey is from Wales and even when he was really little, he was quite unstoppable. |
| 1:19.7 | Yeah, my mother was a headmistress from infant school, so she was used to kids, |
| 1:23.4 | but I just bought a different level. |
| 1:25.4 | I was just running around all the time, climbing up things I shouldn't be climbing, |
| 1:28.4 | escaping, running down streets and down the roads. |
| 1:31.5 | Yeah, my poor mother would be chasing after me all the time. |
| 1:34.2 | So, yeah, exhausting for her. |
| 1:37.0 | And I think your dad was also, was he a headmaster? |
... |
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