How to Become ‘Shatterproof’ | Buffini Podcast
Many who watch Lauren Sisler on ESPN enjoy her sideline commentaries and interviews with some of the country’s top collegiate athletes. They also helped make her “Sideline Shimmy” (a little dance she once did to calm her nerves) a viral sensation. What many more now know Lauren for, however, is her courageous story of turning an unspeakable family tragedy into a way to shine a light on addiction and shame.
A lifelong gymnast, Lauren was a freshman on the Rutgers University team when, just months into the season, she received the news that changed her life. Over the course of a few hours, both her parents had passed away from opioid overdoses.
For years afterward, she tried to suppress the pain, living, she said, with grief, shame, and fear. With the support of her aunt and uncle—and her own strong underlying faith—she eventually climbed out of that darkness. She now shares her story as a popular keynote speaker and as the author of her bestselling book Shatterproof: How I Overcame the Shame of Losing My Parents to Opioid Addiction (and Found My Sideline Shimmy).
Recently, Lauren shared her journey with Brian Buffini on his podcast It’s a Good Life. Here are a few highlights from their conversation.
Perfection and Fear
As an elite gymnast, Lauren learned to face her fears as she developed her skills. Helping her every step of the way, she noted, was her coach, who employed “tough love.”
“I needed that in so many ways. She was the coach that obviously applauded me in my successes, but she pushed me. And that’s how I responded well to coaching,” Lauren said. “I think maybe that’s why I’ve built up some of these different factors of resilience along the way. I needed that extra push to get me to the other side of this thing I’ve been dealing with.”
The Impact of Hiding the Truth
For years, Lauren explained, her parents had tried to manage chronic pain with strong prescription medications until, like so many other Americans, they became addicted. That, in turn, led to what she described as “financial disarray.”
On top of losing her parents, the financial aftermath was “grueling,” she said, as the family’s possessions were auctioned off.
“So not only am I dealing with the grief that comes along with losing both of my parents—the shame had smacked me in the face. And really a lot of that shame came because of the nature of my parents’ passing. I did not want to acknowledge that either one of my parents were addicts because we love to throw labels on people.”
With her family’s support and her faith in God, Lauren was able to change her perspective and realize that facing adversity, instead of denying it, would help her move through her pain.
“Don’t run from it—attack it. Recognize that adversity can be the very thing that strengthens you and ultimately gives you permission to heal, while also giving others permission to heal,” she stressed.
“God does not promise to deliver us from hardships,” she added. “He promises to deliver us through hardships.”
Success at ESPN and Bestselling Author
After college, Lauren pursued a career in sports journalism, ultimately joining ESPN and the SEC Network.
She enjoys her work on the sidelines, she said, but it’s telling the personal stories of how young athletes overcome odds and find their path forward that brings her the greatest joy.
And now, as a popular keynote speaker and author, she offers hope to others, showing them they too can move past pain and stigma.
“Being a professional storyteller is where I learned to fall in love with my story because when I saw other people’s stories—the impact, the ripple effect—I was like, ‘I want that too.’ That led me down this pathway to have permission to say, ‘You know what? I can love my story too, and I can use this to impact other people.’”
