S2 Episode 12: Khrystyne Kaphan- A Different Kind of Capable: Stage 4 Cancer, Comebacks, and the Axis Deer Redemption Artwork

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Halfway Feral

S2 Episode 12: Khrystyne Kaphan- A Different Kind of Capable: Stage 4 Cancer, Comebacks, and the Axis Deer Redemption

July 22, 2026 • Kim Palmer-Nicks & Austin Bell • Season 2 • Episode 12

0:00 | 1:23:07

A clear mammogram in March. A gut feeling that something was still wrong. By August, Khrystyne had a stage 4 metastatic breast cancer diagnosis that years of imaging had missed. The same instinct that saved her life is the one she trusts in the field — and it runs through one of the most honest, funny, and moving conversations Halfway Feral has recorded.

In this episode, hosts Kim and Austin sits down with Khrystyne "KK" — bowhunter, breast cancer thriver, and one of the most magnetic women in the outdoor community — to talk about grit, gut instinct, and refusing to let hard seasons stop you.

In this episode:

Why trusting your gut is a survival skill — in the doctor's office and in the field — and how to advocate for yourself when the medical system dismisses women
Relearning your body and identity after a life-changing diagnosis, and becoming "a different kind of capable"
Coming back to archery as an adult and the healing the sport brought
Teaching her husband and son to hunt, and building a marriage that grows stronger in retirement instead of drifting apart
The redemption axis deer hunt eight years in the making — the buck fever, the perfect shot, and sharing it with her best friend
Why community is everything for women who hunt, and what you miss trying to go it alone

This is real talk between friends — belly laughs, hard truths about cancer, and everything in between. Whether you hunt, hike, fish, or you're just relearning who you are after life changed the rules, this one will stick with you.

Follow Halfway Feral so you never miss an episode, leave a review to help more outdoorswomen find the show, and stay tuned for a special breast cancer awareness campfire episode this October.

Got an outdoor adventure story to share? We'd love to hear it! Email us at halfwayferal@gmail.com to be a guest on the show.