Episode 50 - Carmen Butcher
For this special 50th episode of Triumph Beyond Trauma, I’m sharing the story of Detective Sergeant Carmen Butcher — a woman whose courage, honesty, and resilience left me speechless.
In 2006, Carmen was on a police study tour in Egypt when the unthinkable happened. A tour bus crash killed six people and seriously injured many more. Carmen was one of them — crushed under the roof of the bus while trying to save someone else.
She was told she might never walk again. But she did. And not only that — she went back to policing, back to serving her community, and back to some of the most confronting work you can imagine. In 2018, she was named Police Officer of the Year by the Rotary Club of Darwin.
This episode isn’t just about what happened in the desert that day. It’s about what came after — the fight to recover, the battles no one saw, and the grit it took to reclaim her life and purpose.
Carmen’s story is intense, unfiltered, and unforgettable. It’s a reminder that healing doesn’t always look neat, and that real strength is found in showing up anyway.
SHOW NOTES
** Content Warning **
Due to the nature of this Podcast and the discussions that I have with Guests, I feel it's important to underline that there may be content within the episodes that have the potential to cause harm. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact one of the services below for support.
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Roll With The Punches Podcast Episode 820
Everyday Warriors Podcast Episode 16
Emerge & See Podcast Episode 12
Mental Health Resources:
000 - Concerns for someone's immediate welfare, please call 000 (Australia)
RUOK? - Resources https://www.ruok.org.au/every-day-resources
LIFELINE, Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention - 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Beyond Blue - 1300 224 636 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
1800 Respect, Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence Counselling - 1800 737 732 -https://www.1800respect.org.au/
Suicide Call Back Service, 24hr free video & online counselling - 1300 659 467 -https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/
Blue Knot, Empowering Recovery from Complex Trauma - 1300 650 380 - https://blueknot.org.au/
Head Space, National Youth Mental Health Foundation - https://www.headspace.com/
Black Dog Institute - https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
Kids Helpline (24/7, for youth 5-25) 1800 55 1800 - https://kidshelpline.com.au/
Support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - 13 YARN (24/7) 13 92 76 - https://www.13yarn.org.au/
MensLine (24/7) 1300 78 99 78 - https://mensline.org.au/
QLife (3pm-midnight) 1800 184 527 - Anonymous, free LGBTI support - https://qlife.org.au/
SHOW TRANSCRIPTION
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