She is living the life of her dreams these days, but everything comes with a price. ‘Live your life today’; is the powerful message of 25-year-old Puck Kroonsberg who has made following her heart her ‘profession.’
As a digital nomad she travels around the world to meet and inspire people. With her beautiful exotic images on Instagram and LinkedIn, she encourages her global followers to get the most out of their lives. That’s why she also wants to dedicate herself to The May 50K.
Puck: “I want to make a positive impact by inspiring and connecting others. My followers are between 18 and 35 years old, which is exactly the age at which people are diagnosed with MS. I want to take action with them to spread more awareness about the disease, but also health and balance in general! Let’s go!”
The Dutch Puck is currently situated in Aruba. Her free life seems carefree from the outside, yet her choice for this nomadic existence has a downside. “In my environment there is a lot of resistance to my decision to leave my safe existence in the Netherlands behind. I quit my job and sold my house and car. I gave up everything that offers security to take this uncertain step. I feel very strongly that I have a mission. The impact I want to make is bigger than myself. I know what I stand for. People really don’t have to follow my path in life, but I want to dare everyone to dare to follow their own path. This also applies to people with MS. For that you have to face your fears. Live in the present. Live as if it would be your last day.
If more people dare to live the life they really want, they will be healthier, more productive and happier. This way you create a sustainable lifestyle. And people get less sick because of an imbalance in the work-life balance.”
With her global reach on social platforms, Puck wants to connect her healthy world to the world around The May 50K. “I want to wake people up. Hey, this is what you can do too!”
Puck knows all too well the impact and complexity of an illness that doesn’t have to be immediately visible from the outside. “I have always been a caretaker for my father who has schizophrenia. A mental illness that is not necessarily immediately visible and therefore harder to understand for people around you. I always found it difficult to choose for myself. But because I record my experiences and share them on social media, my father now enjoys it from a distance. And he’s in other good hands now.”
When Puck tore her ankle ligaments in Ibiza, she clearly noticed the difference of visible discomfort versus invisible suffering. “When I was walking on crutches, everyone was supportive. Everyone saw, she can’t walk, she’s in pain. That made it so much easier to ask for and get help. Before I dared to choose this free existence, I went through a burn-out. Then you fight a lonely, inner battle while nobody sees anything about you. I then had to learn to set boundaries to myself and to others. I started meditating and learned about the power of your thoughts to your body.”
Puck doesn’t know anyone around her with MS, but she wants to learn a lot about it. “The worst thing for me seems to be the uncertainty that functions can just fall out. That you don’t know if you can still do tomorrow what you did today. That’s why I also see that research into MS is so incredibly important. It must continue! The Dutch MS Research Foundation is 100% committed to making this happen.”
Similarity between Puck’s traveling life and the world of MS could be that in both lives, all the unimportant things fall away. “You don’t have much in the way of possessions or ego anymore. What remains is what is important in your life. The purest form. You learn to make choices in what gives energy and what costs energy. By the way, I understand that I can make my choices out of free will and that this is not the case with MS. Health is always my number one priority. Because for me that is the basis from which I can experience my freedom and connect people and worlds. I want to be the best version of myself to give people positive energy and to be there for them. If we dare and are able to set healthy boundaries, it will contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle. In the coming months, Puck will share her sporty workouts on her social media. Every month she reaches about thirty thousand people worldwide. “I want to plant seeds. Showing people the importance of a conscious lifestyle. Everyone can do what’s good for them. Especially if you’re healthy, it’s so much more accessible to participate.”
During the month of May, Puck will be running and kitesurfing for The May 50K. Her inspiring path to that end can be followed on her social platforms called Freedom Warrior.
