Keep on fighting - Michael Schumacher
12/29/2016
Exactly three years ago today, Michael Schumacher had his serious skiing accident, from the consequences of which he has unfortunately still not really been able to recover. As many people know that I was able to accompany Michael at all his F1 races, know him personally and hold the whole family in high esteem, I am often asked about his state of health. I would therefore like to pass on this letter, which reached me over the Christmas period, to all our readers.
Dear colleagues,
It is our pleasure to announce the Keep Fighting initiative 'inspired by Michael Schumacher'. Keep Fighting is a further sign of respect and gratitude from Michael and his family to his fans.
The Keep Fighting initiative aims to motivate all people who feel inspired by the career and character of Michael Schumacher to keep fighting and never give up.
Keep Fighting aims to channel the positive energy that Michael Schumacher and his family have received for so many years into a force for good.
The initiative is run by The MS Office and #TeamMichael on behalf of the Schumacher family.
Thank you very much, Sabine
Questions for Sabine Kehm:
Why is this message being sent out now?
SK: We wanted to send a message of encouragement at a time when people are open to it. The Keep Fighting initiative is about courage, hope and believing in your own confidence. It's about giving back positive energy that the Schumacher family has received from so many wonderful people around the world. It's about a spirit that should be heeded and I readily admit that we want to take advantage of the expected attention these days for this positive message.
Why is there no information about Michael's state of health when this news goes public?
Michael's health is not a public issue and therefore we will continue not to comment on it. If only because we have to protect Michael's privacy as much as possible. From a legal point of view, any statement about his health would permanently reduce the extent of his privacy. We are aware that this is difficult for some people to understand, but we are doing this in complete agreement with Michael's position and can only thank them for their understanding.
What do you say to fans who think they have a right to information because they have been fans for so long?
Michael has always been very protective of his privacy, even in the most successful times of his career. He has always been very careful to maintain a clear and distinct line between his public persona and his private life. We recognize the loyalty of the fans through a number of initiatives, including exhibitions, social media platforms and now through Keep Fighting. Most fans have expressed their appreciation and welcomed these initiatives.
Will this initiative lead to a foundation in the longer term?
This is a first step and we hope that Keep Fighting can develop into a positive force in the future. For now, I can only confirm that we are very happy to pass on the positive energy of Michael's fans and encourage other people to keep fighting and never give up.
