Nicole’s dedicated to sharing a life-saving message with others

The Bankstown local spent 10 long weeks in hospital re-learning how to sit up straight, stand, dress, read and write again. She credits her passion and dedication to football in aiding her long rehabilitation journey.
“It helped me strengthen physically, I was able to improve my running, movement, coordination, agility and strength skills,” Ms Christodoulou said.
“Training also helped me improve my cognitive skills, processing speed, decision making, organisational, and problem-solving skills required for everyday functioning.”
Now 29, Ms Christodoulou and her ParaMatilda teammates have just returned home from the 2022 IFCPF Women’s World Cup in Spain with a silver medal.
They are the first team to consist of women and girls with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and symptoms of stroke.
It was a bittersweet achievement she thought she may never have achieved.
“Having a green and gold jersey with my name on it filled me with so much emotion,” Ms Christodoulou said.
“I dropped to my knees and cried when I first saw it. I was having flashbacks of me at my worst after my stroke, so seeing how far I have come feels so surreal,” she said.
A passionate Stroke Foundation advocate and after experiencing the F.A.S.T signs of stroke firsthand, she is dedicated to sharing her life-saving message with others.
The simple message from Stroke Foundation is to learn the F.A.S.T acronym.
• FACE – has their mouth drooped?
• ARMS – Can they lift both arms?
• SPEECH – Is their speech slurred?
• TIME is critical. If any of these signs appears, call 000 immediately.
“I hope I can inspire people that have had a stroke not to give up and remind them they too can be success stories if they work hard with their therapists,” she said.
“I was put down many times and told I wouldn’t be able to do much in my life, but I believed that I could, and I worked hard during therapy.”