F1: Schumacher inspires 'Keep Fighting' initiative

A "Keep Fighting Initiative" has been launched by the family of seven-time Formula 1 Michael Schumacher (pictured above in 2012), as a sign of gratitude to fans and to encourage people who have been inspired by Schumacher's career "to keep fighting and never give up."

Schumacher suffered a traumatic brain injury in a skiing accident in December 2013. He was kept in a medically induced coma in France for six months before being being transferred to a hospital in Switzerland the following June, and then returning home three months later. His family has declined to offer public information about his condition since then.

"'Keep Fighting' seeks to channel the positive energy received by Michael Schumacher and the Schumacher family as a force for good in the world," explains the initiative's newly established website, keepfighting.ms. The website will include an extensive archive of photos from Schumacher's racing career. "The non-profit initiative hopes to unite that positive energy as a global movement and to prove that giving up is not an option."

The initiative' will be managed by The MS Office and #TeamMichael on behalf of the Schumacher family.

"This is a first step of a movement which we hope can do good in the future," said Sabine Kehm, the managing director of The MS Office, who has long served as Schumacher's personal manager. "The intention of the Keep Fighting Initiative is to spread the belief that giving up is not an option, a message that is valid not only in motor racing. In this way we hope to turn a terrible event, which affects the whole Schumacher family, into something positive.

"We wanted to send a sign of encouragement at a time where people are open to it," she added. "The Keep Fighting Initiative is about courage, hope and belief in your own confidence. It is about giving back positive energy that the Schumacher family has received by so many wonderful people in the whole world. It is about a spirit which we wanted to be noticed, and I am happy to admit we wanted to take advantage of the attention which we expected in these days, given we believe it is for a good cause."

Explaining why there have been so few public updates about the state of Schumacher's health, Kehm stated: "Michael's health is not a public issue, and so we will continue to make no comment in that regard. We have to protect his intimate sphere. Legally seen and in the longer term, every statement related to his health would diminish the extent of his intimate sphere. We are aware that this may be difficult for some people to understand but we do this with full commitment to Michael's guidelines and can only thank people for their understanding.

"We are now celebrating the loyalty of the fans by a range of initiatives, including exhibitions, social media and now Keep Fighting. Most of the fans have expressed their appreciation and have embraced these initiatives."

Schumacher, now 47, won a record seven F1 titles and 91 grands prix with the Benetton, Renault and Ferrari teams. He retired after the 2006 season, but later returned for three seasons with the Mercedes team from 2010-'12.