On August 29, 2015, a moment occurred that changed everything. My father, a passionate hang glider rider with more than 30 years of experience, crashed during a take-off at Kralova Hora. It was a fateful moment when he was spun around and subsequently fell.
After the serious accident he was immediately taken to the hospital in Banská Bystrica. There he spent a critical 11 days in a deep coma, fighting for his life with a fractured skull and torn brain capillaries - those tiny, vital fibres that connect the brain. Doctors spoke of severe damage, especially in the speech part of the brain.
After eleven days he was transferred to Trnava. There he continued his struggle, spending the next 14 days or so in a coma. But despite the hopeless prognosis, something amazing happened. After almost a month in a coma, my father began to come to.
Tomas Pavelka, son
A return to life and a breakthrough decision:
The first weeks were full of huge challenges for Anton. After his stroke, he struggled with short-term memory loss for a short time - he had no recollection of the events of one day ago. Despite this, doctors discharged him home in November of that year. He was facing an extremely difficult journey: learning to walk, read and speak again.
Although the family arranged for a physiotherapist to get him moving a bit, his right side - arm and leg - remained almost immobile. At the time, he felt that the professionals had left him to his fate, as they could no longer help him significantly.
And it was here that Anton's incredible willpower showed itself. He had every reason to give up, but instead he decided to fight. He found the courage to step into the gym and seek me out as a personal trainer. To this day, I still believe that decision changed his life. Had he not done so, his day-to-day reality would have been very different - he might still be sitting on the sofa with a controller in his hand, reliant on the help of others.
Instead, the first training session came. I remember the exact date - March 1, 2017. From that moment on, we began to build our way back to movement, strength and independence.
Anton's lifelong love of reading and tremendous inner discipline played a key role. Through constant stimulation, his brain began to find new connections and pathways to heal and adapt to new challenges.
Today I am proud to say that Anton is pushing boundaries that no one else has seen. And the two of us are still practicing together - for eight years now! He's proof that it's never too late to start and that determination can do the impossible.
Tonko's incredible progress (after the accident):
- Leg Press: pushes 220 kg for 10 reps with no problem!
- Deadlift: he can handle 60 - 70 kg for 15 reps!
- Triceps pulley: Can do 60 kg for 15 technical reps!
Tonka's journey is a testament to what the human spirit can do when determination, hard work and the right support come together. After a life-changing accident, he faced challenges that would break even the strongest of hearts. Losing his short-term memory, relearning to walk, read, talk - all of this was just the beginning.
Although doctors and physiotherapists gave him the basics, the right side of his body remained almost motionless. That's when he decided to take a crucial step: he came to the gym and started working out with me.
Since the first training session on March 1, 2017, we have been overcoming obstacles together, step by step. Gradually his strength, coordination and self-confidence improved. Each small success was proof that his body and brain were finding new ways and able to adapt.
Today he is no longer dependent on the help of others. We have been practicing together for eight years and Tonko is still progressing. He is a huge inspiration to me - proof that it is never too late to change your life.
Never give up!
Tomáš Konček
I succumbed to the personal trainer path back in 2008 after my successful extreme makeover in Muscle & Fitness magazine. At that time, there were almost no personal trainers in Hlohovec and its surroundings and the concept was still in its infancy. So for 16 long years I have been trying to offer my clients factual information in the field of nutrition, fitness training and lifestyle improvement in the best possible way.