Planet Tyrus – “Maddie Fragner: Overcoming Every Obstacle”

Date: March 19, 2026
Host: Tyrus (Outkick)
Guest: Maddie Fragner

Episode Overview

This episode features an inspiring conversation between Tyrus and 19-year-old author and artist Maddie Fragner. Maddie, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, shares her journey overcoming challenges, cultivating her faith, and developing her creative passions. The discussion delves into the ups and downs of authenticity, creativity, and refusing to be defined by adversity. Both Tyrus and Maddie highlight the importance of family, faith, and resilience, while bonding over a shared love of literature, anime, and horses.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. On Authenticity and Taking Off the Mask

• Maddie’s Philosophy: Maddie opens up about her desire to “take the mask off” and show the world her true self, not just the positive or "inspirational" side.

  • Quote: “I just really want to take the mask off. Yes, people can see me as an overcoming spirit, but honestly, just life is hard in general and not many people know that. I kind of have a spicier side to myself.” – Maddie (03:09)

• Tyrus’ Reaction: Tyrus encourages her to embrace her authenticity and promises to let things get a little “spicy” in the interview.

  • Memorable Moment: “But get out the Tabasco sauce because we're going to get spicy in here today.” – Tyrus (03:44)

2. Early Foundations of Maddie’s Writing and Artistic Journey

• Influences: Maddie attributes her love of stories to her mother reading fairy tales and classics like Peter Rabbit to her as a child.

• Big Break: In third grade, her teacher secretly submitted her short story to a school program and it was chosen to be performed, igniting her passion for writing (07:54–08:19).

• Current Projects: Maddie recently self-published her first short story, “An Angel Called Rose,” which is a “biblical allegory” inspired by “The Littlest Angel.”

  • Quote: “No matter what tragedy we face, God can turn it around for good and make it better than what we can initially imagine.” – Maddie (09:57)

3. Overcoming Adversity and Staying Grounded

• Sources of Strength: Maddie credits her survival and success to her parents and her faith.

  • Quote: “The only reason why I'm here is because of my mom, my dad, and because Jesus kept me safe.” – Maddie (16:01)

• The Struggle Behind the Smile: Maddie describes internalizing others’ praise as “a light and an inspiration” and how that sometimes resulted in pride and feeling like she was living a lie.

  • Quote: “I was tired of living a lie. And frankly, I just... yeah, I don't.” – Maddie (17:31–18:06)

• Dealing With Expectations: Puberty, health setbacks, COVID isolation, and the loss of grandparents forced Maddie to confront her flaws and lean further into family and faith for support (19:00–20:19).

4. Shared Passions: Books, Anime, and the Creative Arts

• Anime Fandom: Maddie is a fan of “Sailor Moon,” appreciating the main character’s vulnerability and perseverance (12:21).

• Book-Loving Bond: Both Tyrus and Maddie love “Animal Farm,” “Chronicles of Narnia,” and Shakespeare.

  • Favorite Animal Farm Character: Boxer for both (13:18–13:28).
  • Shakespeare Favorites: Maddie loves “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” and “Much Ado About Nothing” (23:39).
  • Discussion on the meaning and contemporary relevance of classics.

• Artistic Accomplishments: Maddie is not only a published author but has also had her artwork displayed at the Allegretto Vineyard Resort (50:19–51:23).

5. Creativity as Connection and Healing

• Writing as Therapy: Maddie wrote a backstory to “Romeo and Juliet” inspired by her grandparents’ real-life meeting, helping her process grief (20:32–21:48).
• Greek Mythology: She’s taken recently to the “relatable flaws” of gods and goddesses, especially Aphrodite (21:58–22:18).
• Voice Acting Dreams: Maddie aspires to voice characters, being friends with a vocal coach connected to Nickelodeon (31:08).

6. Navigating Criticism and Stereotypes

• Tyrus Shares His Story: He explains struggling to be taken seriously as a writer because of stereotypes, ultimately proving critics wrong through perseverance.

  • Quote: “When you create, when you write something, in a lot of ways, it's... it's you. It's like an extension of you... And they look at and they go, eh, I don't know. That hurts.” – Tyrus (34:04)

• Lesson: Both host and guest agree setbacks and failure can become motivational “soil” for new growth and achievement (34:33–34:39).

7. Horses and Childhood Stories

• Shared Love of Horses: Both express deep affection for horses – Tyrus with his daughter and their horses, Maddie relating to “Black Beauty” and horse movie stories.

  • Memorable Moment: Maddie gives Tyrus feedback on his book "Georgie and her Great Horse Adventures" (38:47–39:41).

• The Power of Emotional Stories: Books like “Charlotte’s Web” and “Where the Red Fern Grows” are discussed as formative, often because of the way they make readers cry (40:38–41:52).

8. The Value of Work Ethic & Defying Stereotype

• Exceptional Young People: Tyrus emphasizes Maddie is a counterexample to negative stereotypes about Gen Z or disabled people.
  • Quote: “The more people will see work ethic, commitment, understanding, humbleness. And we didn't, we haven't talked about any handicaps because that's just, it's just life. It's just life.” – Tyrus (44:07–45:24)

9. Looking Forward: College, Art, and Dreams

• Education & Goals: Maddie is majoring in English, possibly considering theater or art, but affirms her primary ambition is to be a writer (42:36–43:19).
• Artistic Residency: She is an artist-in-residence with pieces in a prominent Paso Robles hotel (50:19–50:57).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Overcoming Adversity:

  • “I'm here, I'm kicking ass and taking names and I've got issues just like everyone else does, but I'm not defined by whatever was put in front of me.” – Tyrus (00:39, restated at 44:07)
  • “I wish I could be more honest about that because people just usually see the joyful side of me.” – Maddie (16:41)

• On Faith and Family:

  • “The only reason why I'm here is because of my mom, my dad, and because Jesus kept me safe.” – Maddie (16:01, repeated throughout)

• On Literature’s Relevance:

  • “Even though it was written in what, 1942?... it's so prevalent today. And, like, it's funny how history always repeats itself, but you don't know it if you don't read it.” – Tyrus (14:06)

• On Writing and Resilience:

  • “You took that pain and you turned it into soil, and you put your little idea in and it grew, and you did it yourself.” – Tyrus (34:33)

• On Artistic Growth:

  • “The best work that I do is often when I'm just in the quiet, just me and just kind of chilling and doing whatever.” – Maddie (36:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:30 – Maddie on authenticity and removing the “mask”
• 03:44 – “Spicy” conversation and anime love
• 07:54–08:19 – Maddie’s third-grade story moment
• 09:57 – Maddie explains the inspiration behind “An Angel Called Rose”
• 13:18 – Favorite characters in “Animal Farm”
• 16:01 – Faith, family, and survival
• 17:31–18:06 – Battling internal contradictions and perfectionism
• 20:32 – Storytelling as a way to process family loss
• 21:58 – Greek mythology as creative inspiration
• 31:08 – Maddie talks voice acting dreams
• 34:04 – Tyrus on the pain and triumph of rejection
• 39:03 – Maddie’s review of Tyrus’s horse book
• 42:36–43:19 – Maddie’s college ambitions
• 50:19–50:57 – Art residency at Allegretto Vineyard Resort

Closing Thoughts

Tyrus and Maddie’s discussion offers a refreshingly authentic portrait of a young creator living with disability yet refusing to be defined by it. Their rapport is humorous and heartfelt, covering classic literature, finding strength in faith, and the tenacity required for creative work. The episode stands as a testament to the resilience and complexity of “exceptional young people”—a term Tyrus uses to encapsulate Maddie’s spark, work ethic, humility, and joy for life.

Listen for:

• Vibrant discussions of favorite books and what makes stories stick (13:16–14:28)
• Insights on handling public expectations and personal vulnerability (16:41–18:06)
• Fun tangents on anime and horses, revealing the universal quirks and passions that bind us all (12:21, 36:49)

For more info on Maddie’s art and book:

• Her book An Angel Called Rose is home-printed and order info is shared directly via her family and art at the Allegretto Vineyard Resort, Paso Robles.

Final words from Maddie:
“This was awesome. I’d totally do this again.” (54:08)

Final words from Tyrus:
“There is a lot of young people and older people that are going to be inspired by you... Nothing stands in your way. I think that is remarkable.” (53:02–53:33)