This is one of Johnny Walker's spots that have nothing to do with alcohol, everything to do with making things happen when your reality changes!
Mark Herremans life changed in one split second; paralyzed in 2002, this spot opens with Herremans telling his own story about his dream as a 26 year old young man from Belgium. Herremans shattered his spine while training, and he became paralyzed from the chest down. However, Herremans kept his dream in front of him. In this powerful motivational clip, Herremens remembers back to what made him happy when he was 26...it was his dream to be a triathlon world champion.
We see Herremans training in a lake, in extremely difficult conditions as he transitions from his three wheel road bike to the water, so that he can practice freestyle strokes. We also see Herremans awkwardly walking across the room with a walker, straing himself at pull ups. One by one he gets stronger.
Then during one of his training rides seated in an athletic wheelchair, we see Herremans by himself on a desolate road. He stops his wheelchair, head down in total despair, feeling like he wants to give it up. On this lone road before sunrise, Herreman gets up out of the chair, and in a moment of movie magic, he speaks to himself, his body in the wheelchair on the left of screen, and his able-bodied self standing on the right side of the scren. His standing self then speaks inaudibly to his body in the wheelchair; and with that, an extreme close up of great pain and determination in Herreman's eyes lights up...his dream revives!
We hear the announcer, "When reality changes, your dreams don't have to" as we watch physical revival in Herremans stamina, still all alone in the wheelchair again, determined to keep on keeping on.
Do you have individuals in your organization who find themselves in a situation where reality has changed? Do some individuals want to give up? Perhaps I can assist with licensing a motivational video for your organization, even this video highlighting Herremans journey. Contact me; I'd love to assist you and your organization!
