Dubbed by many as the highlight of the song contest, for the first time in Eurovision history, people with disabilities shared the stage with Sam Ryder and Queen drummer, Roger Taylor in a visual embodiment of the song, which is all about overcoming challenging times.
When writing the song for the #IAmAMountain campaign, Sam Ryder was inspired by the personal stories of people who use products from Ottobock. He comments, "The song 'Mountain' celebrates perseverance and is intended to give courage to all who need it. It is all about growing in the face of loss, grief or darkness and becoming as strong as a mountain. And then looking back with pride and new zest for life on how you have overcome what life has thrown in your way."
The #IAmAMountain campaign brings together user-generated content from 26 users of Ottobock prostheses, orthoses, and wheelchairs from 14 countries. As part of the campaign, they will be sharing their personal moments on social media – including the highs and lows. Alongside Sam Ryder, they will be inviting everyone to join in the conversation by asking "What have you overcome?" calling for others to share their personal experiences under the hashtag #IAmAMountain.
Martin Böhm, Chief Experience Officer at Ottobock said, "Sam Ryder is the perfect voice and partner for our campaign. His involvement will help us overcome so many barriers, just as his Eurovision performance was a moment of real visibility and representation for people with disabilities in front of an audience of millions. We will be taking this approach to the next level with our #IAmAMountain campaign. By inviting people with disabilities to share their stories, we hope to change society’s perception and instead, celebrate all the things that are possible in life. This exactly describes our brand essence as a Human Empowerment Company."
At the heart of the new campaign are a number of unstoppable Ottobock users and their moving stories. These include (but are not limited to):
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Hari Budha Magar (UK) made mountaineering history on 19 May 2023 when he became the first human with both legs amputated above the knee to climb the 8848 metres to the summit of Mount Everest. Born in Nepal, he joined the British Army at the age of 19 and served for almost 15 years before losing both legs in 2010 in a bomb explosion. Hari hopes that his personal story will help to inspire others: "I hope that my achievement of climbing Everest will help change the way people with disabilities are viewed. I want to encourage everyone to ascend the mountain of their choice." (Website)
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Dima Aktaa (UK) grew up in Syria and made her way to the UK as a refugee in 2017. Her left leg was injured so badly in a bomb attack that it had to be amputated. When she was 18, she got her first prosthesis and started to learn to walk again. In 2022, the BBC recognised the achievements and social involvement of Dima Aktaa by including her in its annual list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world. (Instagram)
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Gina Ruhl (Germany) calls herself the "one-armed princess". She lost her left arm in a motorcycle accident in 2019 and has since worn a bebionic prosthetic hand. As runner-up in the Miss Germany beauty pageant, model and motivational speaker, she wants to inspire and give courage to other people and to break down conventional beauty standards. (Instagram) Alongside Dima Aktaa, Gina Ruhl was also one of the performers on stage with Sam Ryder for his moving performance at the Eurovision final.
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Zainab Al-Eqabi (United Arab Emirates) lost her left leg when she was seven years old due to injuries sustained in a bomb blast. Today, the qualified pharmacist stands up for the rights of people with disabilities as TV presenter, influencer (with 1.7 million followers on Instagram) and cover model of Vogue Arabia.
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Brandon Todd (USA) is an entrepreneur, athlete, fashionista and motivational speaker from Georgia. He lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2017 and has worn a C-Leg microprocessor knee ever since. He shares his successes and challenges on TikTok and has become a role model for many people who live with physical disabilities.
In addition to these, the campaign also includes many other international personalities and Ottobock users, for example German Paralympics star Johannes Floors, Mexican actor Juan Pablo Medina and Davide Morana, an Italian athlete who, despite having had all four limbs amputated, has inspired many with his unbreakable spirit and athletic performance. The successful Paralympic wheelchair fencer from Italy Bebe Vio is also supporting the campaign.
After a stellar 2022 which rocketed him into the musical stratosphere, Sam Ryder continues to reinforce himself as one of the UK's quickest emerging names in British music. His hit single 'Space Man', representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, became certified GOLD selling over half a million copies in the UK and his debut album 'There's Nothing But Space, Man!' is a catalogue of infectious pop energy that soared to the No.1 spot. Sam's rapid successes have earned him personal bests, as well as prestigious accolades, including: performing at the Queen's Jubilee, the GB Formula 1 Grand Prix, closing out the 2023 BRIT Awards, and was personally invited by Dave Grohl and Queen to perform with them at Wembley Stadium for the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert.
REHACARE.com; Source: Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA
