I BECAME THE CAPTAIN OF MY OWN LIFE

Every decision I made from then on was inspired by that dream, from my hobbies to my career choices.  And I had to be patient, as the road was long and filled with obstacles. Along the way, I faced enormous challenges, both physically and mentally. On my path, I came across amazing and supportive people. But I also faced judgement, prejudice, and discrimination. I felt the world was not ready for my ambitions. But I stood tall, and decided to become the captain of my own life.

TODAY, I AM AN INTERNATIONAL MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER AND STRATEGIC CONSULTANT

I obtained a degree in astrophysics, an airline pilot license, a ticket to the ESA astronaut selection programme. I worked for several well-respected scientific institutions. I even led a Mars simulation mission in the Utah desert.

Today, I am a strategic advisor, international transformational speaker and space ambassador.

My true mission is to share the beauty of outer space with others. I want to spread the knowledge and skills that I have picked up along the way.

MY MISSION IS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

As a public speaker, I want to touch and inspire those people who dare to follow their dreams in a world that is so eager to hold them back. And as a researcher, I want to contribute to interdisciplinary research that will make our world a better place. I want people to look up at the sky and see the bigger picture, even if it is just for a moment. We are all on this planet together and we will have to learn to work together if we want to survive as a species. Race, gender, religion, politics: these are all artificial problems and completely irrelevant when seen from space. More importantly, these things are distracting us from our real purpose. There is no you versus me. There is us, together in the vastness of space, trying to survive.