Today we’d like to introduce you to Shauna Galligan.
Hi Shauna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story begins after my final head injury. Thanks to 15 years of competitive soccer. After my final head injury at 22 years old, I started to have symptoms of your classic traumatic brain injury. Depression, anger, rage, suicidal thoughts. My mom saw something was not right, she took me to Dr. Amen in San Diego for a brain scan. He found many brain injuries from over the years of soccer and a crack skull. Dr. Amen told me I had two options: I could go on medication which is only masking the problem or I can eat these foods, take these vitamins, and meditate 20 minutes a day, and after a year your brain will start to heal itself, he said. So my mom and I decided to go the most natural way possible was the only way. Shortly after my brain scan, my mom met a Qi Gong master from China. She told him my story and he said” send her to China with me next week. I’ll have her healed in 30 days.” So what every loving mother would do, She would send her daughter to China with a complete stranger And off I went. What I learned in China was the moment my life changed forever. I realized we are way more powerful than we realize. If you have seen the Marcel Doctor Strange movie that is my story. Using your hands floating through the air gathering the invisible energy you know is there, but cannot see, using your intention that you will be healed, and visualization of watching it happen through your mind, staying in the present moment and breaking through any beliefs that hold us back from transformational magic.
I came back from China 30 days later, completely healed. I healed my brain with my mind! What I learned I wanted to share with the entire world that anything is possible, anything! I thought I’d become an EMT and work in the ER and became a massage therapist hoping to guide people to that we can heal ourselves! After a few years, I realize that was not going to happen. Then one day I received a call to work on set of a TV show as a set medic. I jumped on the opportunity! Being the tomboy that I was, I always had my soccer ball and skateboard in hand. On set, you could find me skateboarding or you could find me kicking the ball with the catering guys. The Producer came up to me and asked, “If you get hurt who’s going to take care of us!?!” I assured him I wasn’t going to get hurt he said I should be Stuntwoman. I’ve never heard of a Stuntwoman before in my life. He connected me with the Stunt Coordinator up in LA and 14 years later I’ve worked on the biggest movies and television shows in the world. I became a motivational speaker in 2020 to finally share my message to the world on the power of the mind.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
To get anywhere, there are always going to be obstacles, and there’s always going to be challenged to keep pushing us to evolve and grow as human beings. If we aren’t challenged, we aren’t going to grow, and we aren’t going to achieve what we know we are capable of achieving. Everything has to do with mindset. You also have to believe in a little bit of magic and trusting your intention that you will achieve what you know you are capable of. When I would hit a hurdle, I won’t lie it would take me out for a couple of days perhaps a couple of weeks but the one thing I never would give up on was that hope I know was there. Everything is there to help is not to hurt us. Hurdles are there to either direct you into another direction or challenge you to see how badly you want to this because you will learn something. Ultimately, we always learn from every situation. We always learn from every experience the key is flow, not force.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve always tried to be that all-around stuntwoman so I was able to take on every job that came my way. Driving, wirework, fighting, etc. My most popular work would either be doubling Nebula on Avengers Infinity War and Avengers End Game. My goal is to take what I’ve learned in the 14 years of stunt experience and move it into directing. Everyone has their goals in life after stunts. Mine happens to be directing.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
What I’ve learned through Covid is that the film industry is indestructible, ha!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @shaunalynngalligan
- Youtube: Shauna Galligan
