Michael Gershe is a survivor of a drunk driving crash that killed his mother and nearly himself when he was 8 weeks old. Despite breaking almost all his bones in the crash, he went on to become a collegiate swimmer, comedian, speaker, author, college educator, and photographer.

With over 30 years of experience on stage as a comedian and speaker, Michael has presented his programs at schools, colleges, military bases, and two TedxTalk presentations. The Magic of Life and his other programs combine humor along with his powerful and inspirational story.  Michael presented his program for MADD and for 11 years at the Stow Municipal Court to first-time drunk driver offenders. He has been a guest on several national podcasts regarding grief and trauma, speaking from the male perspective.

Michael is the co-host for the Crash Talk 3D podcast, which discusses traffic safety regarding drunk, distracted, and drugged driving with experts in the traffic safety community and those who have been impacted directly.

In 2015, he founded The Magic of Life Foundation, a non-profit organization, that helps his mission in eliminating impaired driving, making communities safer and empowering people to make better choices in life.

In 2019, he published his memoir, “The Magic of Life: A Son’s Story After Tragedy, Grief and a Speedo.” One Amazon reader said, “This book will inspire any reader to be a better person! This is one of the best books I have read in a long time!” The book can be bought on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Michael is the Senior Advisor at Kent State University, where he advises students in the professional pilot major.  He is not a pilot, but they let him sit in the backseat as long as he doesn’t touch the controls!