How a Near-Death Experience Transformed My Life and Career with Sheryl Ramstad

In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Sheryl Ramstad about resilience, life-changing trauma, and finding meaning through unexpected adversity. Sheryl shares the riveting story of surviving a solo plane crash at age 29, her arduous physical and emotional recovery in a burn unit, and the surprising turn her career and personal life took as a result.

About the Guest:

Sheryl Ramstad is a survivor, trailblazer, and lifelong advocate for service. She has had successful careers in law, healthcare, and teaching. Above all, she treasures her role as a mother to three adult children and grandmother to six. Sheryl resides in Minneapolis with her husband, Lee.

"I would say that the prevalent thought I kept having was to not ask, why me? But what next? And that's what guided me throughout the rest of my decisions." — Sheryl Ramstad

Main Topics Covered:

Sheryl’s path from aspiring lawyer and pilot to surviving a fiery plane crash on her first solo flight
The intersection of elective change (choices) and changes thrust upon us by fate
Details of her crash, the critical actions that saved her life, and the realities of acute trauma
The long and disempowering recovery from burn injuries, and the power of friends, family, and faith
How the accident reshaped her identity, career, and drive—and inspired her late-in-life nursing career
The importance of patient voices in medical care, and giving back as a way to heal
Writing her memoir and the role of honesty about faith in her storytelling
Endurance running after burns, facing public curiosity, and building a full life beyond trauma

Quote from the Episode:

"I would say that the prevalent thought I kept having was to not ask, why me? But what next? And that's what guided me throughout the rest of my decisions." — Sheryl Ramstad

Timestamps: [00:00:05] Welcome & intros; where Sheryl calls home

[00:02:17] Surviving a plane crash at 29—Sheryl’s life before and after

[00:05:02] Being a female pilot in 1979 and solo flight details

[00:08:18] The crash, emergency decision-making, and escaping the wreckage

[00:13:33] Trauma memory, hospitalization, and the emotional toll

[00:17:24] Type A recovery struggles and loss of independence

[00:24:20] Channeling adversity into a career in nursing and supporting burn survivors

[00:28:40] Perseverance, faith, and support systems in healing

[00:43:15] Could her growth have happened without the accident?

[00:44:19] Writing Living Life Full Throttle—why and how

[00:49:39] Integrating faith into her story

[00:50:18] Book availability and final questions

Find Sheryl’s Book on Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/a/87491/9781960876805

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