Meet Ness and Eva

Ness Murby (he/him) is a Paralympian, JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Brand Strategist, Counselor and the co-founder of TougherThan. During his athletic career, he has represented three countries in three ParaSports: Australia, Japan and Canada in Goalball, Powerlifting and Para Athletics in Discus. He also holds world records as well as world, continental, and national titles.

In 2020 Ness came out as trans. As the first openly trans-Paralympian, Ness is currently focused on competing in Men‘s F11 Discus for Team Canada, aiming for the 2024 Paralympics, with a larger goal of carving out space for future generations.

An advocate and public figure, Ness is a passionate contributor whose lived experience and common humanity fuel his passion for diversity and inclusion and has long been led to push against prejudices, drive for systemic change and challenge the status quo. His niche is asking "better questions," he believes "everything is mentionable and from there manageable," and he advocates "there is enough space for all of us."

His Lens: Human. Dad, Husband, Son. Gran’s kid always and Pop’s "Tiger" forever. Australian born of mixed Aboriginal and colonial descent. Grateful settler on the territories of the Coast Salish Peoples. Hong Kong raised me. Blind. Trans. Extroverted lntrovert. Advocate. JEDI Brand Strategist and Counsellor. Paralympian. Lover of puzzles, art, psych and culture. Coffee in the morning, tea all day. Still reads bedtime stories.
 

Eva Fejes (she/her/they/them) is Ness Murby’s spouse and has been his sports assistant since 2010. She is also the co-founder of TougherThan alongside Ness, further solidifying their dynamic partnership in sports and in life.

Eva spent 30 years in a cis-heteronormative, non-disabled lane before meeting Ness in Tokyo. As she fell in love she found herself ushered into a different lane. Understanding what was happening took time, which revealed that by association, she was now a member of the marginalized and the unrelenting quest for the often-elusive accessibility. After an “innocent” one-time invite to the gym led to a local powerlifting meet in a Tokyo suburb, Eva was rocketed into the world of para-sport, and the Paralympic movement. Eventually, Eva learned accessibility is not a “disability thing” - access to self, to society, to contribute, is not equitable. We all require access to be able to contribute the most powerful parts of ourselves.

In stepping into her role in Ness’ access, Eva reciprocally accessed some of the most meaningful aspects of herself. Ness’ understanding of his dysphoria and navigating life blind, is also the story of Eva’s own untangling, exploring her role as the non-disabled half of the duo and how barriers, stereotypes and stigmas must be faced to live authentically despite them.

Her Lens: Cycle breaker. Mother. Spouse. Striving Gaia-Worshiping Taoist hippie. Inner narrative warrior. Continuously evolving. Socially anxious. Strong-willed. Internalized Introverted Introvert. Deep feels. Queer. Pansexual. Gender Non-Conforming. Grateful settler on Turtle Island. First-generation Canadian and Toronto transplant. Born to Hungarian refugee parents. Learner and unlearner. Wholistic Health and Eco-Feminism. Prefers to be outside. Still travels with books, plural.