In this episode of Airdrie Inside, Chris Glass sits down with Rishav Sharma—Team Canada para-badminton athlete, double gold medalist, and founder of the Rocky View Badminton Academy. Rishav’s story is a masterclass in moving from "doubt" to "gold." From being told he couldn't play in India to training in the back of a shop in Fort St. John, Rishav has spent his life framing a solution to the limits others placed on him.

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Celine Simard (Celin) grew up in Fahler, Alta., the "Honey Capital of Canada," but she found her voice in the isolation of a 28-day quarantine. From the Young Canadians to the King Eddie, Celin is part of the creative "explosion" that has transformed Airdrie over the last five years.

In this episode, she performs:

• "14 Days" (The quarantine anthem)
• "Pray On" (A controversial take on infidelity)
• "Purely Chemical" (Addressing the brain’s imbalance)

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What does it take to manage 100,000 people and a $500 Million budget? For Horacio Galanti, the answer was found at 8,000 meters in the "Death Zone."

In this episode of Airdrie Inside, Chris Glass sits down with Horacio Galanti—Civil Engineer, world-class mountaineer, and the Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Airdrie.

Horacio doesn't just "climb mountains" as a hobby. He has summited the Seven Summits, reached both the North and South Poles by foot, and completed the gruelling Canadian Death Race six times. But the real story isn't the altitude—it's the discipline.

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"There comes a time when we need to stop pulling people out of the river and go upstream to find out why they're falling in." Kim Titus didn't just start a foundation to honour her son, Braden; she started a movement to dismantle a broken system. From a personal tragedy that "transfigured" her world to securing over $1M in funding to pilot a new provincial standard of care, Kim shares the blueprint for moving from "sick care" to true "brain health."

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She has performed at the Lincoln Center and toured the world, but Tong Wang’s most important stage is a cul-de-sac in Airdrie. As a concert pianist, educator, and co-founder of the Windwood Music Festival, Tong is on a mission to replace the scarcity of elite art with an overflow of community belonging. This is a story about the power of the big open sky, the science of "cute" music, and why world-class chamber music belongs to everyone.

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"We are training people to survive the job physically, but we aren't training them to survive it mentally." Mo Shaukat has seen the worst of humanity as a hostage negotiator and correctional officer at the Edmonton Institution, a maximum security federal institution. He knows that for first responders, silence isn't strength—it's a death sentence. This is the story of how Mo brought Boots on the Ground to Alberta to ensure that when a hero hits a breaking point, there is a brother or sister on the other end of the line who actually "gets it."

Chapters:
00:00 - The Weight of the Uniform: Active Military & First Responders
01:50 - From Pakistan to the "Murder Capital" of Canada
04:05 - "I’m Just Looking for a Job": The Accidental Firefighter
06:53 - Life Inside the Max: The Reality of Edmonton Maximum Security
10:44 - The Toll of the Job: Blood, Gore, and the People the System Breaks
14:16 - The Art of Crisis Negotiation: Listening to Understand, Not to Respond
19:53 - Who Rescues the Rescuer? The Birth of Boots on the Ground Alberta
22:56 - The 2016 Hostage Incident: A Personal Lesson in Peer Support
28:50 - Why Anonymity is the Key to Unlocking the Door
31:34 - How to Get Help: 24/7 Anonymous Support for Heroes
33:05 - The Future: Funding Psychological Visits and Service Dogs

Call to Action: If you are a first responder or military member in need of support, call the 24/7 anonymous helpline: 1-866-724-2684. Support the mission and donate at: https://botgalberta.com/

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The "Champion of the Arts" award isn't for the person who writes the biggest cheque. It's for the person who gives the most of themselves. For Mandi Fusaro—actor, director, playwright, and teacher—that has meant spending nearly a decade in the trenches, building the invisible infrastructure of Airdrie's soul. This is a story about the power of showing up, the ROI of belonging, and why local theatre is one of the most powerful tools for building a resilient community.

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Most politicians learn how cities work after they're elected. Kristen Shima spent a decade building them from the inside. With a Master's degree in sustainable community development and a resume that includes securing over $225M in investment, Airdrie's newest Councillor isn't just here to govern—she's here to architect. This is a masterclass in "wicked messy problems," the economic power of culture, and why the future of any city lies in its "people power."

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