As long as I can remember, I always felt different. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. I didn’t fully fit in. My brain worked so differently than others’ brains and my body has always been a little heavier than the other kids.

Combined with me growing up in Essen, Germany, a city marked by industrial grey and an unsafe atmosphere filled with anger, fear, and suffering, I faced many problems myself. I couldn’t deal with seeing the suffering around me, which me feel powerless.

Sports were my escape, and I was obsessed with high-level athletes, like Vince Carter and Cristiano Ronaldo. I dreamed about becoming on of them, but I was never that athletically gifted. But I had the feeling that it wasn’t just their talent or work ethic that made them perform outstandingly. There must be something more.

As I got older, I decided to deal with the challenges that were presented to me. I started building a life despite the suffering around me and picked up hobbies. One of them was powerlifting. I immediately fell in love with the sport and the support I felt.

Even though I was not lifting any impressive numbers, I still felt everyone in the competition hall rotting for me. It was a safe place for me. A place to release anger. A place to play. A place where I could push myself.

My level of performance was questionable, but I was enjoying the living heck out of it.

For the first time in my life, I felt that I was doing something worthwhile. I was making progress, and I felt powerful. By becoming better at being a human being, I was able to rise rather than crumble in the challenges I faced. And I realized that those high-level athletes did the same thing.

They faced hardships around them but answer them with acts that build resilience. Not just hard work physically but actual hard work in their minds.