Stephen Kaplan’s last motorcycle trip nearly killed him. Here’s how he survived with his wife’s help

Nearly 12 years ago, Toronto business executive Stephen Kaplan took a solo motorcycle trip to Alaska. He promised his worried wife, Danielle, it would be his last. But somewhere on a remote road in the Yukon, Kaplan hit a pothole and flew off his powerful bike. When he landed, he’d broken his spine and damaged his heart. The lifelong adventurer couldn’t move, trapped alone on the side of a road in grizzly bear territory. It sounds like a movie, but this was real. If it wasn’t for a few miracles including a passing trucker, a working GPS device, free hospital care in B.C., and his wife’s steely determination to help him recover, it’s unlikely he would have survived. Now Danielle Kaplan, a former health care worker, has written about the couple’s remarkable story, including the toll it took on her family and their marriage. Her new book is called_ I Married a Thrill Seeker: A Cautious Wife’s Memoir of Her Husband’s Risk-Taking and Their Long Road to Recovery._

Danielle and Stephen Kaplan join The CJN Daily to unpack how they survived and the lessons her book can teach couples. What we talked about:

• Find out more about the SPOT GPS device that saved Stephen Kaplan’s life
• Read more about the book, and Danielle and Stephen Kaplans’ experiences on their website

Credits: The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.