Who I am

 

𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝑨𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆.

I am a speaker, artist, healing art practitioner, and advocator for road safety and burn trauma. I am originally from Greece, and since 2016, I have been travelling between Greece and Canada, where I happily live with my husband, Dan Plexman. www.danplexman.com

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A little about the past that allowed me to discover my purpose

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I started my entrepreneurial journey at 19, running my first baking business that soon blossomed into another shop, promising me a prosperous and secure future.

In 2001, I watched my life change in one split second. I was involved in a horrific car accident where I lost two friends. My body suffered 74% of 3rd and 4th-degree burns, and I came close to losing my life. Everything in my life changed, and reality hit me hard. Not only I lost my friends, but I also lost my identity. Fragments of my old self while looking in the mirror shattered me.

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During the long road to recovery and to strengthen my injured hands, I was introduced to painting and other forms of art. I found the painting process to be a form of mental and emotional therapy. 

𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒗𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇.

This feeling sparked the desire to develop my skills further. Today I am a proud member of the Greek Artists Association and grateful for having my art displayed in numerous exhibitions in Europe and Canada. It is truly fulfilling.

But this was not the end. Since I experienced the emotional healing power of art, I decided to become a certified Healing Art practitioner. I enjoy guiding my clients on a mindfulness journey, where they are relieved from stress and anxiety and reconnect with themselves to progress toward a positive change.

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My health challenges, including cancer at the age of 27, made me realize that life is fragile and precious.

 

Since 2017

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In 2017 I consciously decided to reinvent myself and start living a more purpose-driven life, and the real journey began! With the hope that no one else goes through what my family and I went through, I started sharing my story with different audiences in Greece, Italy, and Canada to promote road safety and road accident prevention. I host the podcast called "Crash Victim Life Survivor," where my guests and I take the listeners through our experiences of surviving a car crash.

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I live by my motto, "It only takes one split second for reality to change," so I encourage you to make every second of your life meaningful. 

 

To see more of my Art, please visit my website at www.nasiahouvarda.com.

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Speaking Topics

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I speak about decision-making, life choices, resilience, road safety, and mental health. Through my presentation, I am sharing how my life was before, during, and after the crash. Why my accident happened and how it impacted everyone around me. All the challenges I faced, from being a healthy young girl to fighting for my life, facing feelings of guilt, depression, defeat, and some small victories along the long road to my recovery. 

 

If you think I will be of value to your audience, I would love to hear from you! 

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Athanasia H.