Finding the Will to Recover: Nick Prefontaine on Running Out of the Hospital After Doctors Said He Never Would

At 14, Nick Prefontaine caught the edge of his snowboard going off the biggest jump in the terrain park — and that was the last thing he remembered. He woke up in a world where doctors had already told his parents he might never walk, talk, or eat on his own again. Less than 90 days later, he ran out of the hospital.

In this conversation, Nick takes us inside the recovery the motivational posters never show you. We talk about the mother who refused to let a hopeless prognosis be spoken over her unconscious son, the inner voice that whispered you're going to run out of the hospital, and the STEP system — Support, Trust, Energy, Persistence — that he didn't learn from a textbook but built from inside his own crisis.

If you're standing at a starting line you never asked for, wondering whether you have what it takes to get back up, Nick's story is a hand reaching back to pull you forward.

About Nick Prefontaine

Nick is a three-time bestselling author and nationally recognized speaker, named one of the top motivational speakers by Yahoo Finance. He's the founder of Common Goal, where he works with people in the middle of trauma, crisis, and life-altering challenges — helping them not just get through it, but thrive on the other side. He also runs a family real estate business buying and selling homes creatively.

What we cover:

The day of the accident and the "coincidences" that saved his life
Why his parents shielded him from the doctors' prognosis — and how that shaped his recovery
The STEP system: Support, Trust, Energy, Persistence
The inner voice that became his common goal, and what Nick now believes that voice is
Losing his voice for nearly a decade, and what persistence looked like day by day
The single moment of doubt he allowed himself — and his mother's answer
Making a full recovery: marathons, snowboarding again, and what he carries forward

Connect with Nick:

🪜 Download the free STEP ebook: https://nickprefontaine.com/step 🎥 The STEP video series ($37): https://nickprefontaine.com

Let's keep the conversation going.

What resonated with you in Nick's story? Was there a moment in your own life when someone refused to speak the worst over you — or a time you had to take the next step without being able to see the whole staircase? Leave a comment and share it. And if this episode reached someone you love, pass it along.

📰 Read the companion article and join the discussion: https://grief2growth.substack.com

You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.

Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back.

I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.

All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.

https://grief2g

The International Association for Near-Death Studies or IANDS will host its annual conference at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue. The event features an all-star lineup of keynotes like Proof of Heaven Author Eben Alexander, MD, and Dying to Be Me Author Anita Moorjani. I Early bird registration rates are available through July 15.

Visit IANDS.org to register

Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.

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