Life has given me a tough start, but that has given me the spirit to make a difference. From being bullied by students, from being told by teachers I wouldn’t be able to manage life, from being misunderstood by society, my life changed when I found my “stamily” at the age of 27. After having been headhunted for most of my jobs, I became a teacher to all from children to seniors, and even to teachers! I also decided to give stuttering a voice and became engaged locally, nationally and internationally in the stuttering community. I’ve been honoured to be a speaker at international congresses and masterclasses all over the world, THANKS TO my stutter!
Through talking to kids, teachers, national and international politicians, incl the EP, I hope to spread the word that we have the right to adjustments, but also the right to stutter. And that doing what’s hard and still doing it shows how strong we are. Stuttering makes people listen, which is why the International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD) is now officially recognized by the European Parliament (EP).
Beside teaching, and being an education coordinator, I also had my own company as a motivational speaker on stuttering, and have been, and still keep on trying to be, in every local and national TV, radio and weekly magazine, advertising about stuttering, trying to get people who stutter out of the “shame-corner” and feel heard and respected. I loved doing children and European youth camps for over 20 years, trying to give them the tools to make a difference in their own, and others’ lives, which is what keeps my heart beating with pride, seeing them paying it forward.
Now that I have ME/CFS and meet many similar hurdles, I have to cut down on many activities, but thanks to my stuttering journey, I can deal with this as well, and trying to lift people’s spirits in these communities too. All because of our Stuttering Super power that made my quote go viral:
“Sure I stutter, what are you good at?” 😉