From coma to comeback

Form 20 hour long epileptic seizure, coma and back to world cups in 8 months

Purpose:

Asking for financial support to make my full comeback season a reality now that I have made it to the first speedskating world cups of the season!

Story below:

1 week before the world championships and the highlight of last season, I was hit by a 20 hour long life-threatening epileptic seizure. It saw me end up in coma for 2 days and 2 days after waking up I was not able to communicate.

Now I'm back on skates and most things are going much better than we could have hoped for. Making my comeback to the world cup season 2023/24 is big deal. Nobody would have fought it was possible already 8 months after the incident.

Just before my seizure I did my best world cup results on masstart with 4th and 7th place in the and 6th and 7th places in Team Pursuit. The season was already a big succes!

Out of nowhere I had to get back from zero. Fighting with massive headache and other challenges every single day. But slowly I made it back. Back to speed skating and now back on the startlist for the world cup season 2023/24.

Since day one I have been fighting with all I had to get healthy physically and mentally and and also to be where I am right now with progression on skates. I'm skating world cups 1 and 2 in Japan and China and after that hopefully more the rest of the season.

I have had all the support I could wish for from the once near to me: Family, coaches, team mates and friends.

(Family)

Meanwhile I haven't had the possibility to do anything else than rehab, training and listening to my body and mental health. The focus ahs always been health first and pushing myself in search of sponsors etc. haven't been on top of the priority list. Therefore I haven't found a good solution to make this sport financial sustainable for the full season, which is why I ask for your help!

This sport is not cheap. I don't have a big contract and the cost exceeds my income by quite a lot these months. I can't finish the season that is just about to start if I don't get help for the big costs of traveldays to training-camps, competitions, material, training-facilities, coaching etc.

If you or anyone in your network would like to help, then a donation or share is much appreciated!

(International Skating Union's president)

I have come a long way since I was laying in that, bed at the hospital, not able to breath by myself. You can help me get back competing against the best skaters in the world for the full season. To take one step closer to the level I had when I was about to start The World Championship in front of a packed ice rink (Thialf) in Heerenveen, the Netherlands.

My long term goal is not only to get to that level, but also to improve on my 4th place world cup finish and take the road to the 2026 Olympic Games

I'm asking to cover just below 50% of some of the biggest expenses of my 2023/24 season.

Most of the world cup expenses are luckily payed by my federation, but training camps and early arrival at world cups for training etc. is selfpayed. This is excluding food and other unexpected expenses that always happens when you don't expect it 

If you want to send my an offer or contact for a potential sponsorship deal then feel free to contact me on.

(I will respond asap. after the first world cups).

My total cost (approx.)

Travel costs:

3000 Euros

Training camp and competition accommodation:

2200 Euros

Ice time:

455 Euros

Coaching:

2400 Euros

Physio:

300 Euros

Ferry, transport by car to training camps:

850 Euros

Custom skates and blades (hopefully):

1950 Euros

Total cost:

11155 Euros / 82,993 DKK.

Hope you would like to help me as I keep fighting everyday. I have already made it a long way, but the fight physically, mentally and financially.

Thanks and see you on skates - Philip Due Schmidt :-)