My name is Eltje.
I’m also known as ‘Pedals' because I used to be a
competitive cyclist and I used to pedal a lot.
Did you text it or email it?
Director: I texted it
Oh yeah, it’s arriving now.
It says.
Oh yeah, okay.
(laughter)
I was a physiotherapist
but I’m currently not working, or not yet.
I’m a German,
but I’ve been living in New Zealand for about 15 years and I love it.
Well the eye patch is because of the traumatic brain injury.
I have double vision and that way it’s normal vision.
and I have a crutch,
sometimes two but not at the moment,
because my balance is absolutely off and
the brain injury caused a loss of balance
and you need balance to walk.
I was riding my road cycle
and I was just training and
I crashed,
probably a hit and run but nobody saw it.
Well, the early stages, I don’t know because I was in a coma for three months.
And then they started rehab with really simple things
but they were not simple for me.
Let’s say, sitting unsupported,
I would just fall over.
So they re-established everything,
really basic functions likes sitting or so.
I had to learn again.
I’m probably fortunate with my physio background
that I know how important it is to keep trying.
Giving up is actually not an option.
No, not at all, really.
I think whatever the perception of other people is,
so be it.
It doesn’t change my life.
When I do my walking exercise
I’m sure people think all sorts of things.
It pretty much looks like a drunken.
Sometimes my legs even cross over,
but I don’t care what they think.
Yeah it would be good if the public would know a little bit more about brain injury,
because it’s not just an acute accident.
It’s not necessarily always just like a hand in the cast.
So it’s important that people know
that I still have my wits
and I still have a sarcastic sense of humour
and all of that is still normal
but I need to have things…
my processing is slow so I need to have things
separate and ordered and everything,
so I can take the time to actually understand them.
Well that’s a difficult question,
what’s good about it?
Not much.
It’s absolutely amazing how the public responds to my ordeal.
I’ve had so many positive encounters and reactions
and people being supportive.
I’ve been shown a lot of love
that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have come across
and I do appreciate that and
unfortunately I have to say that is probably thanks to the brain injury.