Every year in Australia, nearly 45,800 people experience a stroke — that’s one every 11 minutes. Across the country, almost half a million Australians are living with the aftermath of stroke — survivors navigating recovery, relearning, and rebuilding their lives.

In the United States, the scale is even greater. More than 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year, and about 7.8 million adults report having had one in their lifetime. Stroke remains one of the leading causes of long-term disability in both nations.

Meanwhile, another battle is unfolding quietly — the battle with body weight.

In Australia, 65.8% of adults live with overweight or obesity, and 31.7% are classified as obese. That’s millions facing chronic health risks, fatigue, and the emotional toll of struggling with their bodies.

In the U.S., the numbers are even higher. More than 40% of adults — over 100 million Americans — are obese, and when you include those who are overweight, the figure climbs far higher. The costs — physical, financial, and emotional — ripple through every community.

And for many, the fight is against darkness itself. Around 453,000 Australians are blind or live with low vision, and that number is expected to reach 564,000 by 2030.

In the United States, an estimated 7 million Americans live with vision impairment or blindness, including 1 million who are completely blind.

But behind every one of these statistics — every number — there’s a story.

A mother learning to speak again after a stroke.

A man rebuilding his confidence after losing his sight.

A young woman finding courage to reclaim her health.

And the common thread that runs through every story of survival, every comeback, is resilience.

Resilience is not just about bouncing back. It’s about building forward — stronger, wiser, and more determined than before. It’s about choosing your mindset when you can’t choose your circumstances.

As Viktor Frankl Nobel peace prize nominee , author of man’s search for meaning , Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, once said:

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

That’s what mindset does.

It transforms pain into purpose.

It turns setbacks into stepping stones.

It helps us see possibility when everything around us seems impossible.

Whether we’re facing physical limitations, emotional hardship, or the loss of what once defined us — mindset is the one thing we can always control.

One person who has dealt with obesity, a stroke, and Blindness, and Who has committed himself to helping others through these challenges and other similar challenges joins us here today

Phil Charlton there’s a speaker author, transformational coach and eX Air Force medic and officer and he joins us here today