Livestream sparring fundraiser for SameYou
Each year, we organise a home charity fundraising event where our community comes together and supports a charity.
I am 26 years old and am The Neuro PT. I am a personal trainer who helps people with their neuro rehab journey. I follow a holistic approach, trying to influence every aspect of someone’s life - not just physical fitness. I love sparring, which I used to do locally, and I love reading.
Why is raising awareness of brain injury important to me
Brain injury is important to me because my mum and dad both passed away from brain tumours; my dad when I was 8 and my mum when I was 17-years-old.
Even though my dad was told he would only have a year, he battled his tumour for 13 years. However, my mum's battle took us all by surprise and only lasted 5 weeks.
I was very fascinated by how the brain tumours changed my parents and how they expressed themselves when they were going through it. I remember my mum’s personality being very different at times as a result of the tumour pressing on the frontal lobe.
From this I went to study a Psychology BSc and then a Cognitive Neuroscience MSc which led me to work in brain injury rehabilitation. I worked as a support worker for 2.5 years and then put both fitness and brain injury together and created The Neuro PT.
About my livestream fundraising event
The event is about raising awareness of brain injury by doing 20 x 2-minute rounds of body sparring.
Although boxing can at times get a bad reputation for being associated with risks of brain injury, I want to shine a new light on this sport. Boxing and body sparring can be a great way to improve fitness and work on coordination.
I want to push myself as a fitness professional, so in this livestream event, I will commit to 20 rounds. Wish me luck as this is bound to be very challenging.
Why fundraise for SameYou?
I have raised money in the past for brain tumour and cancer charities, but this time, I wanted to support a charity which mission shares similarities with my area of brain injury rehab expertise. I am passionate about neuro-rehabilitation and I think this sector needs a lot more work to adequately care and help people and families whose lives have been affected by brain injury.
I believe that SameYou can change the way we work after someone suffers a traumatic brain injury.
I think that support and education for survivors and their families is missing in the neuro-rehab sector. I think that the important role of specialists working in this area should also be emphasised.
For example, I believe that personal trainers could benefit from training in neuro-rehab to better address the needs of some of their customers. More training in this particular area would create a more empowering and inclusive environment for people who have suffered an acquired brain injury.
Why Ollie encourages other supporters to fundraise for SameYou
I would encourage supporters who have a focus on neuro-rehabilitation and on changing the current systems to take action and fundraise for SameYou. The money raised through fundraising challenges contributes to systemic changes for survivors and their loved ones.
Fundraising for SameYou
By fundraising for SameYou, you support the charity's work to develop better mental health recovery treatment for survivors, create self-help resources for survivors when they go back home and raise awareness of the impact of brain injury.
Take action today
Don't wait any longer, if you're thinking of organising a livestream fundraising event, get in touch to find out how you could make the most of this opportunity to fundraise for SameYou.
By supporting SameYou, you can help raise awareness of brain injury and help close the rehabilitation and emotional support gap that survivors and their families experience during recovery.