Battletested with Tanya Acker cover art

Battletested with Tanya Acker

Battletested with Tanya Acker

Written by: Tanya Acker
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We’ve all been hit by something hard when we didn’t expect it. We’ve come through battles of every kind - personal, professional, national - and still are fighting some of them. What have we learned from them - and what can our past battles teach us about how to live in the present moment? New episodes of BATTLETESTED air every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts.Copyright 2026 Tanya Acker Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Ty Herndon: What Mattered Most, Survival, and the Truth That Saved Him
    Sep 25 2026

    This week, host Tanya Acker is joined by Grammy-nominated country star Ty Herndon for an incredibly candid conversation about the healing power of truth.

    Going far beyond his No. 1 hits, Ty shares his powerful story of survival, overcoming severe addiction, and finding true redemption. He opens up about the private battles behind his public success—including hiding his sexuality in Nashville, surviving trauma, and the hard work of learning to love himself.

    Ty also discusses his highly anticipated new memoir, What Mattered Most, reclaiming his faith, and his vital work with the Foundation for Love & Acceptance. This is an unforgettable episode about what happens when the life you built burns down—and what it takes to build it again.

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    1 hr
  • Petri Hawkins Byrd and his wife Makita share their powerful fight against Makita's stage-three brain tumor, proving the strength of marriage "in sickness and in health."
    Sep 1 2026

    Petri Hawkins Byrd and his wife, Makita Bond Byrd, join Tanya to share their deeply moving fight against Makita's stage-three brain tumor and what it truly means to honor the vow "in sickness and in health."

    In this episode, Petri and Makita join Tanya to discuss Makita's harrowing battle with a malignant stage-three brain tumor. After Makita suffered a sudden seizure, a life-changing second opinion from renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Black led the couple through her brain surgery, subsequent paralysis, and intensive cancer treatments. Together, they share an inspiring, deeply personal conversation about navigating fear, relying on faith, strengthening their marriage, and Makita's forthcoming book, Bonding with Myself.

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    40 mins
  • Kid ’n Play’s Christopher “Kid” Reid: How a Heart Transplant Saved His Life(Part 2)
    Aug 21 2026

    When hip-hop icon Christopher “Kid” Reid first noticed his exhaustion and swollen ankles, he figured it was just life on the road. Instead, he was facing congestive heart failure—and a heart transplant was his only option for survival.

    In Part 2 of our deep dive, Christopher shares his extraordinary journey of checking into Cedars-Sinai and receiving a new heart just 11 days later. We talk openly about the warning signs he wishes he’d taken seriously, the reality of healthcare disparities, and the profound second chance that inspired his new song, “Tin Man.”

    As Christopher told me: “You can’t just hope to live. You’ve got to live to live.”

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    38 mins
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