DISABILITY & RESILIENCE, AND THE FUTURE OF HUMAN POTENTIAL
"BODY AWARENESS - MENTAL HEALTH - EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE "
This is more than a website - it’s a movement.
I explore scoliosis, chronic pain, disability, and inclusion through lived experience and neuroscience.
Redefining Disability. Reclaiming Strength. Rewriting the Story.
EMBRACING MY STORY
Author: Susanne van de Munt, DiS
Disability&Inclusion Advocate,
Real-life experience coach, Healthcare writer
Life has a way of throwing challenges at us, we never saw coming. I carry the story of a scoliosis warrior who’s faced more than her fair share of hardship since childhood. Over the years, my spinal curve has deepened-pinching nerves, tightening muscles, and turning chronic pain into a constant companion.
My life journey is rather challenging than comfortable, but what carries me through isn’t a miracle or a secret-it’s the quiet choice I make every day: to live with pain, not in war against it.
I do not see it as a villain any more, but as a strange kind of mentor. One that teaches me the power of presence, surrender, and strength that doesn’t look like pushing, but enduring. It was not granted to me. I had to learn it as a skill.
1. MY STORY WITH SPINE DEFORMITY:
Severe scoliosis x-ray
Source: Susanne van de Munt
Spine deformity doesn't wait in quietness. Spine deformity challenges your body and your mental strengths among other daily inconveniences in a hard way.
There are quite a few skills that you rather develop soon or later in order to keep it going. I learned resilience.
I had no other choice! Without resilience-without the deep realization that I have mental strength, and that I can still cultivate physical strength on my terms. I might not have made it this far. Why?
Because when pain, anxiety, and grey clouds around your mind take over, the temptation to give in is real. Perhaps you recognise something that I call “patient funnel” a place where hope shrinks, autonomy fades, and prescription pads become lifelines. I have seen many people born with healthy bodies fall in it, because they didn't know how to deal with chronic pain. They did not have tools. What they had, was a medical prescription of heavy drugs-painkillers. That is the complex chapter itself, we can go through this later on. I had this choice, served on my table every single day!
But I chose differently. Not because it was easy-because it was necessary.
That choice, again and again, has helped me build something stronger than symptom relief: trust in my own ability to carry on.
2. YOUNG YEARS
A wheelchair was supposed to be my destiny.
Source: Canva Pro/ Susanne van de Munt
When I first heard the words “You might end up being bound to the wheelchair” my heart was broken! I was a young 18 years-old girl who already had a different childhood than majority of other kids, but I was not expecting that. Let me go to the beginning of my story:
I was just a child. At six years old, scoliosis began writing its silent story in my spine. The earliest signs were picked up not by chance, but by my mother’s intuitive eye. The doctor said, “We’ll keep her under observation since nobody in our family had similar issues. We’ll see how it goes.” And so the waiting began. But scoliosis doesn’t wait quietly.
I spent my childhood wrapped in heavy braces, my body marked by routines of exhausting physiotherapy. I wore my armor to school-not a badge of honour, but a medical necessity. Between classmates, I became the weird girl with the brace. I didn’t fit into games, playgrounds, or the freedom of other children’s bodies.
Worse than the physical discomfort was the emotional weight. The messages I received weren’t hopeful or supportive-they were limiting. “You can’t play volleyball.” “You can’t jump.” “You must exercise. That’s it.” “No, not that either.”
Slowly, childhood slipped away-not through any single moment, but through the repeated denial of joy, movement, and expression. While others played, I trained. While others explored, I obeyed. I entered intensive rehab programs chasing promises of stability and a better future. And I did all of it-and more, because I wanted to live a normal, regular life. I wanted a life that didn’t revolve around diagnosis or limitation.
But then came the echo again: “You may end up in a wheelchair.” And with those words, my dreams cracked wide open. I had dreams, I had desires, I wanted to travel and see the world, I wanted to learn languages, make friends..I never thought about getting married or have kids, I knew that would be difficult. But, how could I become a woman with a future if my body will potentially collapse in my 40s? I didn’t want that.
Who would anyway?
3. EMBRACING MY STORY
Source: Canva Pro
Fast forward, I have been navigating a life where chronic pain remains a regular and uninvited companion for 30+ years. I exercise regularly, I motivate myself, I nourish my physical body, I look after my mental and psychohygiene and still I won't lie..there are days when it feels as if the weight of my condition anchors me in place, turning even the smallest tasks into monumental challenges. Plans made with hope the day before dissolve into frustration and disappointment, as pain dictates the rhythm of my life.
Yet, in these moments of stillness, when the struggle feels overwhelming, I remind myself of the resilience I’ve cultivated over decades. I’ve faced these battles before, and while chronic pain may slow me down, it will never define the depth of my spirit or my unwavering determination to keep moving forward.
In that grief of pain, a fire can shoot " NO"! Not me, not now!
A little nudge for you:
Every challenge I've faced has been a reminder that while pain may dictate the pace of my steps, it does not define the direction of my journey. If I can do it, you can work on it too!
Keep going, keep living, keep exploring your possibilities.
Susanne van de Munt Dis
4. WHY AM I SHARING MY STORY?
Because I want to inspire you to find joy in everyday moments and live your life fully, regardless of the challenges you may face. Do not give up! That is the easiest way, you don't want to walk this way!
Maybe there was no one for you when you need it, or you didn't get a kind support that could inspire you and lift you up.
But, hey! There are ways to manage the pain, to find relief, and to reclaim that lost sense of vitality! It's about finding the right tools, the right strategies, and building a support system. And that's what I'm here for. My life's journey has been a testament to the power of resilience, empathy, and the relentless pursuit of dreams.
My story is here to inspire you to live your time given on this Earth fully, while embracing your gifts and challenges, turning your lifestyle towards a better version, having control over your health issues, and cultivating a sense of joy and purpose whenever you can. Does it make sense?
5. WHAT I BELIEVE IN AND WHAT I OFFER ?
FOR INDIVIDUALS
I believe in healing beyond the surface. I have seen both sides, as a patient and as a well-trained medical professional.
Education is the key.
Understanding your condition is the first step toward managing it. The next step is to find recipes that soothe-movements that restore-connections that uplift.
• We nourish the body.
• We calm the mind.
• We strengthen the heart.
Find your way to my resourceful library and e-shop here..
My work is a blend of science, soul, and support. My goal is to help you find your way and live with less pain and more joy. It is in your hands. Are you up for this?
Here is what you get while working with me:
I offer real, emotionally intelligent human presence
I have been where you are
I do not hand-out structured programs from a clipboard
This is not a performance coaching
This is attunement and reframing your story in a safe space environment
I do not prescribe healing
I witness it
I hold space for it and I walk beside it
I am a guide-someone who's walked the long painful road and now light lanterns for others still in the dark
This unique combination of professional expertise and personal transformation is at the heart of my work. It allows me to bridge the gap between medical knowledge and human experience—helping individuals, teams, and organizations translate science into understanding, and understanding into action.
Do you feel like you could profit from my experience, and medical & emotional intelligence?
👉 Choose your way of working with me here
👉👉 Take a sneak-peak into my chronic pain management resources
6. DISABILITY & DIVERSITY & INCLUSION MISSION
FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND PROFESSIONALS
Disability is part of humanity.
• Not an exception.
• Not a deviation.
• Not a tragedy.
My work reframes disability as a powerful and often overlooked dimension of human diversity. As someone living with disability, I bring a rare combination of lived experience, professional expertise, and global perspective to conversations about resilience, inclusion, and the future of human potential.
My core belief — “Disability Is Diversity” — challenges outdated assumptions about strength and ability. Disabled people are not symbols of limitation. They are masters of adaptation, innovation, and resilience. When companies integrate this lived wisdom into their culture, they unlock a blueprint for the kind of strength modern leadership urgently requires.
With a background spanning healthcare education, international business advising, and community building, I translate personal narrative into strategic insight. I advise organizations in:
• Developing meaningful, human-centered DEI strategies
• Integrating disability into their diversity frameworks
• Designing inclusive systems and accessible environments
• Strengthening cultures of psychological safety, belonging, and dignity
• Elevating resilience and adaptability as core leadership competencies
My voice is bold, human, and grounded in lived reality. I speak from the experience of navigating a world not built for me and rising anyway. This perspective enables me to guide leaders and teams with clarity, empathy, and strategic depth.
My mission is to shift the global mindset from viewing disability as a deficit to recognizing it as a source of innovation, leadership, and human evolution.
If your organization is ready to rethink inclusion, elevate its DEI maturity, and cultivate a culture where people feel seen, valued, and empowered - I collaborate with fast-forward thinking companies on integrating Disability, Diversity, and Inclusion into their leadership, systems, and culture so every person can contribute at their fullest potential.
If the world learned from disabled people,
we would raise a generation that doesn’t break at the smallest inconvenience
.
We would redefine what it means to be strong.
We would expand what humanity believes is possible.
This is not inspiration.
This is not charity.
This is not a feel-good moment
This is a call to evolve.
Susanne van de Munt, DiS
This project is shaped by lived experience and sustained by your support. Every book purchased and service booked contributes to a mission led by a coach living with physical disability. Your support helps amplify a message built from resilience, compassion, and shared healing.
Thank you.
Susanne van de Munt
My mission is simple:
To shift the global mindset from seeing disability as a deficit to recognizing it as a source of innovation, leadership, and human evolution.
The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or a substitute for professional healthcare. Individuals are strongly encouraged to consult with a qualified healthcare provider before undertaking any exercise regimen, nutritional changes, or treatment for scoliosis or chronic pain. Proper medical evaluation and guidance are essential to ensure safety and effectiveness.
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Susanne van de Munt Dis