"You will never be able to walk again"
"Riding a bike is not really my thing, definitely not my preferred way to travel", Sven Marx says today. "I used to love my motorbike, but that is too dangerous now."
Sven's brain tumor surgery resulted in an impaired sense of balance and vision. A condition he is still facing.
He describes himself as being "heavily disabled", almost ten years after he had first been diagnosed with cancer.
The former diving instructor fell sick in 2009, when he started feeling increasingly unwell after his dives.
"I saw the doctor in the morning and was informed on how it was cancer by midday," Sven recalls.
Sven's tumor, located in the brain stem, could only be removed partially.
Source: Sven Marx
Source: Sven Marx
At this stage, he was told he would never be able to walk again.
After months of rehab, however, he slowly managed to ride a bike again.
It was only days before he wanted to take his son on a bike tour to the Baltic Sea, when Sven found himself under surgery, again. He was diagnosed with black cancer in his face. But once again, Sven managed to come back. "I cheated death twice."
"That's when I told myself: If I survive my 50th birthday, I travel the world."
On April 23 this year, Sven left his home city of Berlin for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Even before his journey around the planet, Sven had cycled through numerous countries.
Source: Sven Marx
In 2015, he met Pope Francis to get the ‘Inklusionsfackel’ (Flame of Inclusion Torch) blessed.
"One of my friends suggested, if you go to Rome, you should visit the Pope too," he says.
Easier said than done, since the Pope isn't able to welcome everyone.
"But he liked our idea and we were rewarded with an audience on St Peter's Square.
"He took his time to speak with us, he knew some German words too."
Sven Marx also carried the torch to the Paralympic games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and he has since been promoting inclusion and the breaking down of barriers wherever he went.
After having cycled through Northern and Eastern Europe, and afterwards through Asia, Sven Marx is currently on his way from Australia to New Zealand. His latest stage took him from Sydney via Canberra to Melbourne.
Source: Sven Marx
Source: Sven Marx
Before heading off to New Zealand, Sven stopped at the SBS studios in Melbourne to tell his fascinating story.
His bike was just waiting outside the Federation Square office.
"I am doing this for two reasons. For myself, in order to demonstrate what I am capable of. But after a while and a couple of tours, I started to realise that I want to help others as well."
Source: Sven Marx
Sven´s aim is to not only raise money but also awareness for people with disabilities.
Along his tour, he gets in touch with local German embassies and consulates in order to discuss the situation handicapped people are facing in every particular country.
"It helped me realising how blessed we are in Germany. Being disabled in a South-East-Asian county is hardly bearable."
Sven also managed to write a book about his journey: "Aber du bist doch behindert" - translated into "But you are disabled". A book which aims to motivate others.
Source: Sven Marx
He also holds talks in many cities in order to support others, who are suffering from various bad conditions.
To follow Sven's extraordinary journey around the planet, visit his blog.
Listen to part two and three of Sven´s interview (in German):
