FightBack, the brand, was founded eight years ago mainly in order to support my rehabilitation financially.
A lot has happened since then.
Finnish people have united behind this cause, which has evolved into something bigger than me and my rehab. They have been buying the FightBack merchandise from the web store, and we’ve had collaborations with other brands. It started with beanies and evolved into clothing and accessories. We worked with Gymstick in the past, too! I’m forever grateful for Makia, who helped me to push the wheels rolling!
This was the first beanie… Fall 2012.
This started the clothing collection, thanks Makia <3 Fall 2014.
But I found my new calling already before branding my rehab– public speaking. Now this may have been a very hard thing for others to understand – why on earth would I want to stutter PUBLICLY?! In front of healthy PEOPLE, who were normal?? Wasn’t it embarrassing for me?!
I wasn’t ashamed at all, because I couldn’t have done anything differently. I was doing my best.
It was somehow easier for me to do my best back then, because people had none expectations for almost any of my performances, the rehabilitation, or anything! At least it felt like I wasn’t expected to heal at all. Every single little improvement was a tiny little personal victory, even though I didn’t celebrate any of them. I had already fixed my vision to the next goal! I was an achiever and I guess that I still am.
The Finnish population is somehow unique in my eyes and I feel like the FightBack-attitude is in our hearts. We are just as comfort seeking beings as everyone else in everyday life, but when it get’s real, we are ready to get out of the comfort zone. How else would you explain us getting through all the things we’ve gone through?
We are not the only stubborn nation in the world and now, more than ever, the FightBack-attitude is needed. We need motivation, inspiration and yes, we need empathy for others. We all need to get back on our feet! Once you activate the ”FightBack-mode” you don’t have to DO anything specific. Some times it’s best to do nothing at all. Right about now you need to calm yourself, get isolated, and act wisely.
You need tons of patience for this and honestly, I am not the right person to tell how to be patient. I am more of a warning example what happens, if you can’t remain patient. I’ve been trying to do many things, while ignoring the traumatic brain injury, which will remain a part of me for the rest of my life and as a result of always being ready to ”give it a go”. I’ve even suffered a few more minor impacts to my precious brain, I’ve had a few twisted thumbs and ankles and I tend to dislocate the fourth intervertebral disc in my lover back quite often. It limits my movement and yes, it hurts right about now.
But that’s only occasional pain and discomfort. I know it’s only temporary, as is almost everything else in this life of ours. Our days on Earth are limited and we need to make sure to live them to the fullest – at least I’m trying to do so.
I’ve been waiting to get a chance to make my voice heard internationally in this crisis and today I got my chance. A huge international company called PerkinElmer, which is producing many technical aids for medical use, chose me to give the finishing keynote in the Lifeskills segment of their event. The presentation was viewed in 50-counties World wide, so this was a perfect chance for me to spread the FightBack vibes, attitude and POSITIVITY around the World!
The QA session after the presentation was quite exciting – I spoke for some of the brightest scientific minds in a global scale after all… but it went okay as well. Actually – it couldn’t have gone any better!
We already agreed to Fight Back, together. Now it’s the time for all of us to do the same! #FightBack
My presentation was filmed beforehand and I participated in the Q&A.
Before the Q&A, I went back some years and had a sick skiday!