Tier Blundell’s story shines as a sign of resilience and self-empowerment in a world where exclusion and rejection often define someone’s path. Featured in the Bounce Forward Stories Podcast, my conversation with Tier captures the essence of moving from victim to victor, sharing the amazing resilience and growth through the adversities he has faced.
Early Challenges and the Impact of Exclusion
Tier’s journey started with obstacles that would test even the strongest among us. Born to a white British mother and a Pakistani father, Tier experienced rejection and racism from an early age. His father, unable to maintain a relationship due to cultural taboos, left Tier feeling unwanted, while his mother, struggling to connect, added another layer of isolation. Growing up in a predominantly white area, Tier was exposed to racial slurs and a hostile environment at home. His mother remarried, and Tier’s stepfather introduced another element of rejection, as he, too, was openly racist.
The turbulence of his home life was reflected in Tier’s school experience, where he was placed in internal exclusions and isolated from his peers. A single positive breakthrough occurred in primary school when a teacher helped him learn to read, sparking a lifelong passion for learning. His school journey was more about disciplinary measures than any positive reinforcement, which led to his exclusion from mainstream education.
From Adversity to Advocacy: Finding Purpose
Tier’s sense of injustice sparked a rebellious response, but his refusal to be a victim was clear. Rather than accepting defeat, he adopted survival tactics that helped him cope, albeit sometimes in ways that led to trouble. These actions, however, reflected his inner drive to assert his dignity in a world that constantly undermined it.
Despite leaving school without qualifications, Tier’s life transformed when he found martial arts, particularly MMA. It provided him not only with an outlet but also with a community that valued resilience and dedication. This new environment instilled a sense of purpose and a framework for self-discipline he hadn’t experienced before. Martial arts taught Tier that he could achieve success by focusing on what he could control — his actions, his mindset, and his attitude — laying the foundation for his journey from victim to victor.
A Pivotal Bounce Moment
Tier’s bounce moment came when he was working as a bouncer and realised he wanted more from life. Determined to return to education, he took a bold step, applying to an access course and later being accepted into Warwick University. Despite feeling out of place among students with privileged backgrounds, Tier’s dedication to learning helped him excel. He continued to St. Andrews and eventually to Oxford, where he became the first student accepted from a Pupil Referral Unit. This academic success marked a personal victory and represented his triumph over the exclusion and prejudice he faced as a child.
Embracing His Mission: Excluded from School
Now, Tier channels his experiences into advocacy. Through his initiative, Excluded from School, he shares his story with students and teachers, highlighting exclusion’s profound impact on youngsters. Tier emphasises the importance of a supportive education system that sees potential rather than managing behaviour. His message is clear: no child’s future should be defined by a label or exclusion. Instead, with understanding and support, they can overcome these challenges.
Lessons from Tier: Victor Over Victim Mindset
Tier’s story teaches us that embracing the victor mindset means challenging the narrative of victimhood. It involves choosing to control what we can—our mindset, actions, and resilience—despite circumstances. Tier’s resilience didn’t evolve from an innate advantage; it came from a refusal to accept the limits others tried to place on him. Tier’s journey redefines what it means to bounce forward by advocating for those facing similar struggles.
Tier is a testament to the power of self-belief and resilience. He teaches us that, even when faced with exclusion and prejudice, we can write our own stories, transforming past challenges into future strengths.
Let Tier’s story remind you that no matter where you are, you can choose to be a victor over a victim. LISTEN to the full interview on the Bounce Mindset Podcast.
Choosing a victor over victim mindset can turn adversity into empowerment. This approach was the theme of my recent conversation with Amit Ghose, a remarkable advocate and social media influencer who has inspired thousands with his story. Born with neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes tumours to grow on nerve tissue, Amit has undergone countless surgeries and faced unimaginable trials. But through it all, he has chosen to rise above his challenges, transforming his pain into purpose.
Control the Controllable
Amit’s journey to the UK at the age of two marked the beginning of a lifelong fight with neurofibromatosis. His early school years were especially challenging. Amit spoke candidly about being excluded by his peers due to his facial differences, often left out of games and subjected to unkind comments. But rather than succumb to the sadness, Amit focused on what he could control: his passion for cricket. Despite the initial rejections, Amit’s persistence won him the respect of his classmates and a spot on his school cricket team, shifting the narrative from ‘Amit with the funny face’ to ‘Amit, the cricketer.’ This turning point showed him the power of self-acceptance and resilience.
The Role of Family and Acceptance
Amit attributes much of his confidence to his family’s unwavering support. His father, who normalised his condition at home, played a pivotal role in teaching Amit that his condition did not define him. Surrounded by siblings who treated him no differently, Amit grew up with a strong sense of inclusion within his family, even if it wasn’t always reflected in the outside world. This sense of belonging was essential in cultivating his self-worth.
In our conversation, Amit described another pivotal moment in self-acceptance after meeting his wife, Piyali. Her persistence that she was marrying all of him – not just the ‘good’ side – set his journey toward self-acceptance. With her encouragement, Amit began to embrace his full self, letting go of his habit of hiding one side of his face in photos. Her acceptance allowed him to accept himself fully and unconditionally.
Finding Purpose in Adversity
Over the years, Amit’s experiences with rejection and judgment have shaped his life’s mission: to foster diversity, inclusion, and self-acceptance for others. Inspired by Simon Sinek’s concept of finding your ‘why,’ Amit realised his purpose lay in sharing his story to inspire others and promote acceptance for people with visible differences. His journey from being a sales professional to an advocate for inclusion has led him to roles like Diversity Inclusion Business Partner at the NHS, where he now creates substantial change in work environments.
Amit’s Four Steps to Confidence
Amit shared his four-step confidence-building framework, a guide that he has developed based on his personal experiences:
Embrace Your Personality – Find your passion and integrate it into your identity. For Amit, cricket was the hobby that helped him reframe how others viewed him, showing him that embracing a passion could change others’ perceptions.
Accept Yourself First – Acceptance has to come from within. Amit’s journey with self-acceptance reached a turning point thanks to his wife, but his choice to fully embrace himself completed the transformation.
Believe – Amit believes that setting and manifesting goals through small actions creates powerful results. His TikTok journey began with a simple, heartfelt video about living with a visible difference, which resonated deeply with viewers. Today, his message reaches over 122,000 followers.
Communicate – Amit emphasises that our impact often lies in communicating effectively. He has connected with individuals globally by focusing on his storytelling skills and learning how to engage an audience, helping change perceptions and open minds.
“If somebody’s ability is 90%, but their communication level is 40 or 50, they’ll always be perceived at that 40 or 50 because of the way they’re articulating their skill. However, the other way around, if your skill level’s 50 or 60, but your communication is at 90%, then you can articulate your message in the right way.”
Transforming Pain into Purpose
Amit’s story is a powerful reminder that while we can’t control all aspects of our lives, we can choose how we respond to them. His approach to life embodies the victor over victim mindset, demonstrating that even the most challenging circumstances can lead to growth and purpose. By embracing who he is, believing in his purpose, and courageously sharing his story, Amit has turned his visible difference into a beacon of hope and resilience for others.
Get Inspired
Amit’s journey inspires us all to find strength in our challenges and redefine what it means to be resilient. Follow him on TikTok and LinkedIn for more insights and stories. If you’re interested in creating a more inclusive environment at work, reach out to him for a lunch and learn session on diversity and inclusion.
Let Amit’s story remind you that no matter where you are, you can choose to be a victor over a victim. LISTEN to the full interview on the Bounce Mindset Podcast.
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