Fighting Back
4/2/202644 min
This is a classic RISK! episode from January 2014, and it holds up with a particular kind of ferocity. (Content note: sexual assault) Ellie Jackson spent 12 years convincing herself she had moved on from being raped at a college party her freshman year. She'd built a careful system for managing intimacy, or avoiding it, and mostly it held. Then a routine visit to Planned Parenthood, a persistent social worker, and an accidental encounter with a Crest commercial undid all of it at once. (Content note: physical abuse, domestic violence, child abuse) Liz Stewart grew up with a sociopathic father and a paranoid schizophrenic mother who once pinned her to the floor to perform a homemade exorcism. She had boxed for eight years and never once hit back. Until she did. Two stories. Both women fought back. Full episode details and music credits at risk-show.com/podcast/fighting-back-cre515 Support RISK! & Get Involved 🎟 See RISK! live in New York City on June 9th, 2026 ✍️ Pitch your story ❤️ Support us on Patreon or make a one-time PayPal donation 📚 Shop merch or the RISK! book 🎓 Take storytelling classes with us 🎥 Hire Kevin as a coach or get personalized videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
[beep] Hey sweetie, your mother, uh, showed me this Carvana thing, uh, for selling the car. I'm gonna give it a try. Wish me luck. [beep] Me again. I put in the license plate, it gave me an offer. Unbelievable. [beep] Okay, I accepted the offer. They're picking it up Tuesday from the driveway. I haven't even left my chair. [beep] It's done. The car is gone. I'm holding a check. Anyway, Carvana, give it a whirl. Love ya.
Ellie Jackson· Guest0:23
So good, you'll wanna leave a voicemail about it. Sell your car today on- Carvana. Pickup fees may apply.
Kevin Allison· Host0:30
[upbeat music] Hey folks, this is Risk, the show where people tell true stories they never thought they'd dare to share. I'm Kevin Allison, and every Thursday we release these special episodes where we look back at content from our earlier years. Folks, learning to tell your stories can help you understand your life better. I'm teaching another online storytelling workshop starting April 8th, 2026. One student called the workshop equal parts creative playground and a powerful transformational experience. You'll learn how to hold people's attention, organize your memories into compelling and entertaining sharing. You'll find meaning where you might not have noticed it before. You'll connect with wonderful people in a space where they're actually rooting for you.