I studied fine arts, sculpture, product design, and teaching, not to mention coffee and a slew of other interests... I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy learning. Parallel to this is the world of soccer (or football), to which I owe a great deal. I have represented my country and played with and against many great players.

Similar to Rebekah's story, I left soccer abruptly, prematurely, unceremoniously, and seemingly for good and after many years out of the game, I wanted to return to it. However, I was hit with injury after injury. I have seen many physiotherapists, osteopaths, and mostly they worked- short term. However, I wanted to take control of my body, not fall prey to a recurring injury. I wanted to regain some of the fluidity, strength, and dynamism I took for granted in my earlier years. I was not going to let my Achilles heel be my Achilles heel, and more poignantly, my excuse.

Cue Rebekah. My love, my partner (in all senses of the word), and my muse. Even though we lived and worked together since we first met in 2012, the topic of regenerative exercise and body conditioning did not enter our conversation until the COVID era. My ankle was my weak spot and her strong point, so a natural explorative process began. Fast forward to 2024, my ankle does not click, swell, roll, nor strain. It is still not better than my right ankle; however, the transformation has been amazing. One of the key contributors to this was doing ballet, yes ballet! Rebekah taught me how to engage my arch, plant and engage my toes, lock my foot into certain positions and discovered a turnout in my knee that was contributing to the whole problem. Rebekah's understanding of the body is impressive; she would jokingly say that movement was her first language, and I believe it really is.

As we have done (as a duo) in so many of our ventures, we have dived head first into this project, trying to formulate what we see as the best remedy to our sedentary, modernist lives of increasing depressiveness. Movement was and still is the answer, but how to move? So many different types of movement, and the explorative self-regulative nature of movement paved a much wider path than we intended. We felt not only that we found the answer, but we have the tools to help others unlock their potential as well. Our goal thus became to facilitate the space for people to reconnect with themselves and rediscover or discover themselves, henceforth why we offer classes such as burlesque cabaret, flow movement, and the artist. These are not disparate classes, however parts to a whole. A mixed modality offering that offers you the opportunity to surprise yourself and be an active agent in the story of your life.

It is an intoxicating, invigorating step into the realm of self-actualisation.

I am Franko Franki, I am an Artist, Co-founder and teacher at SULT, with my partner in life Rebekah. I am thrilled to share corporeal stories and journey with everyone through to the next chapters of SULT.