This past August we were honoured to have a hand in bringing to life a Limited Edition custom print for our friends over at Junkies4Fitness. We've been working with Wayne, owner and founder, since 2020. This print run however, was unlike any order he's ever requested. He wanted to pay tribute to his lifelong hero, his Dad.
"I do not know any other person who has endured more physical pain in his life and just become stronger every time! My dad had his first life-saving operation at 3 months old and multiple others. He's broken both hips, suffered through sepsis and a perforated ulcer, to name a few." - Wayne
Wayne shared with us, as well as his community, the why behind his request for the tie-dye shirts.
"Tie-dye is, in a sense, uncontrollable. You can do your best, but in the end, you get what you get when you finally release the rubber bands. This represents my dad in so many ways, and what he has taught me." - Wayne
Wayne also shared of a very recent and overwhelming experience of being told his Dad was in critical condition to then seeing his dad lie in an ICU bed, pipes everywhere, helpless, in extreme pain, yet despite this, his Dad grabbed onto Wayne's hand and began to pray for strength for Wayne and his mother.
"This experience made me think of something a dear friend Felix Malan always says, 'Control what you can' - Wayne
It was from this experience that Wayne decided "BRAVE enough to control what you can" was the slogan that would tie the print together. What Wayne's dad did touched him so deeply, he could not control what was happening to himself, but, he could make an impact on how it would affect his family.
"My dad inspired me to pay this forward to others. I wanted to create something that shouts 'control what you can' and who other then BRAVER to collaborate with this!"
"Wayne, we are honoured to have had a part in this project". Wayne could have placed an order, not mentioned the depth to it, and the shirts would have turned out looking exactly the same, but, what we got was an open door to his vulnerability.
At Braver we are deeply rooted in knowing that it takes true courage to show vulnerability, and when a person opens the door to sharing theirs, we believe it is something you handle with empathy and great respect.
Vulnerability is not something people necessarily want to hand out lightly, and rightfully so as it can so easily be abused and used against us when in the wrong hands. I believe it takes a level of faith, integrity and discernment when deciding to share from this space.
To Wayne, thank you for allowing yourself to be vulnerable in sharing your story with us and now, your Braver village. You've shown there is strength in sharing from a space of vulnerability, and I believe there is, if even one person reading this, that needed to be reminded of that today. Thank you, for being Braver.
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