“Speaking Out,” with UK All-American Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and speech pathologist Meg Shake

When Michael Kidd-Gilchrist first met Meg Shake in 2011, he asked her if she would be going to the Final Four. “Probably not,” Shake responded. “Why? Are you going to the Final Four?”

“Yeah,” Kidd-Gilchrist replied. And the freshman basketball player was correct. He would, in fact, help his Kentucky team get to the 2012 Final Four in New Orleans. And while his coaches and teammates provided guidance, he would discover that he also needed the help of his speech pathologist — Meg Shake.

Because MKG had a secret — a crippling stutter, something he’d never learned to control. Instead, he coped by avoiding speaking situations. But being a part of the hugely successful Wildcat basketball team made hiding impossible. So, he and Shake went to work. And now, more than a decade later, they share their story. We’re speaking up and speaking out … on this episode of The Way Podcast.