Tobias Forsberg takes steps forward every day in life.
Like he can now drive a car.
– Was extremely emotional. I both cried and laughed. Have been behind the wheel a million times, but didn’t think it would feel like this, says Forsberg.
Tobias Forsberg’s life changed completely after he was paralyzed due to an incident on the sidelines.
Now he lives with an assistant around the clock and cannot, without help or equipment, perform most of the everyday tasks.
But just like he was on the ice, a warrior, he takes big steps in life with his body and learns new old functions every day.
– Every week I come up with things that I thought I couldn’t handle. A challenge is not to lock yourself mentally into the fact that it is impossible. Now I’m practicing moving to the bed and I thought that was impossible. Anything that I can do myself is a great success for me, he says.
And on Instagram, he posted a video of him driving a car that sent him into a strong emotional frenzy.
– I never thought I would be able to drive a car – again. But an adaptation company has made it possible and being able to move yourself is so cool and important to me and my self-esteem and independence.
– Was extremely emotional. I both cried and laughed. Have sat at the wheel a million times, but never thought it would feel like this, he says about the maiden voyage after the accident in Tegera Arena.
The car has all the important controls at the steering wheel and around Forsberg’s upper body. He has blinkers in the headrest, for example.
His main job these days is training, building functions and lecturing.
– I train four to five times a week and after my surgery where my triceps were rebuilt, new possibilities have opened up. It helps me tremendously and I feel better.
– Then I lecture and now I have had my first lecture in English and it strengthened me that I got it right. It was for a bunch of chefs and it was big for me because I’m so into food. In the past, hockey players were my idols. Now it’s chefs, he says, laughing.
Forsberg’s lecture is about tackling adversity in life. That everyone has a setback at some point and how to bounce back.
– It is important to accept adversity. Then you can get back.
He is also planning a move back to Leksand. But it will have to wait a while.
– My wife Filippa is training to be a police officer, so it will have to be later. But we’ve always said we’ll move back at some point.
