Geir Kåre Nyland and Marte Fredriksen's holiday videos have been viewed by over 50 million on TikTok and Instagram.

– We noticed this already on the first day. Suddenly it was 100,000, then a million and then it just took off, Marty tells VG.

She's talking about a TikTok video that, at the time of writing, has been viewed an incredible 38 million times.

The duo had hoped to reach “a few thousand” people, but the clips the duo posted on TikTok under the username “perspective from us» It has been viewed more than 50 million times.

-She lifted me up, and I was touched because she is so strong. When we went out to sea it was very nice. I was so happy to be there with my “sweetheart”…

It wasn't planned

– I felt weightless and free – it was very emotional, describes Geir Carr.

“It wasn't planned, but when we got to the beach, I took him on my back and carried him into the water,” Marty says.

Marti says she spent two minutes editing the video.

– Then I just wrote down what I was thinking – which is that he said he didn't want to go back to the beach until he could walk again. When I showed it to him, I saw that he was touched, Marti said and smiled at her friend.

The clip clearly touched a lot of people. Nearly 40,000 people have commented on it on TikTok, and the response has been almost exclusively positive.

– If we want to, I think this is something we can live off of in the long term. We have already received a number of exciting offers, but there are also many strange offers and many who want to deceive us, says Geir Kär Niland with a laugh.

Read also: In the midst of the crisis, Ger Carey found love

Marti and her boyfriend Jere Curry, a mixed martial arts athlete who was left paralyzed after a diving accident in Oslo in 2021, traveled to the Dominican Republic in February.

The trial is in May

A vacation they have always dreamed of taking in order to get away from the daily challenges that the couple has spoken about in the past with VG, among others. Niland is awaiting consideration of the appeal case before the municipality of Oslo next May, after winning the first round of the compensation case last year.

The 32-year-old dreads a new round in court, but the success of his travel videos has given him a lot of positives – on many levels.

– What gives me a lot is that this clearly inspires many people who use wheelchairs to dare to travel, says Geir Carr.

He himself was open about the fact that life as a wheelchair user was very difficult. He was an athletic martial artist and “jump guy” until an accident left him paralyzed from the waist down nearly three years ago.

-We've received thousands of messages from people in the same situation telling us how much fun they had. At the same time, they say the videos gave them inspiration, says Ger Carey.

It will help

-I've thought a lot about the girlfriends and partners of those who have cut themselves. Those who felt that there was nothing they could do, that they were being dragged into sadness and despair. Now I'm getting messages that they actually see things as possible after they've seen us, Marty smiles.

So the idea was to spend a quiet holiday in an exotic and warm place. The outgoing duo had no plans other than to try to avoid the typical tourist traps.

Already on the plane bound for the Pearl of the Caribbean, they started filming. After the accident, Ger Care was constantly exposed to unpleasant situations because he was dependent on a wheelchair, and he was interested in finding solutions and paving the way for others in similar situations.

He now hopes that his experiences, not least Marty's experiences as a travel partner, can help others in the same situation.

– I know people who have been in a wheelchair for ten years, and they were inspired by what they saw from this journey. There are many people who have mental barriers, and I personally experienced an enormous sense of shame, says Ger Carey and gives an example.

– Wheelchair users are actually supposed to enter the plane first, but often this does not happen – even if you have given timely notice and done everything right. The feeling of being dragged onto a plane while “everyone” is watching is extremely humiliating.

The trip to a completely different part of the world also gave them new perspectives on life here at home.

– Many people benefit from traveling to gain perspective on things. Anyway, it helped us, says Marty.

change

-We are very lucky in Norway and have a safe framework around us. But the same framework also destroys much of what is human. We are very interested in material things and likes on Instagram. On this trip, I was reminded how important the social aspect was – the connection we made with the people there, says Gere Carey.

– If you could choose between having a video of you getting an amazing knockout like an MMA star, or this video of Marty carrying you into the water – which would you choose?

– That's actually a very good question! The person I was before the accident would 100% choose the knockout. But now I know much better, and video from the water gives people much more than just a “wow” for a superficial accomplishment, says Ger Carr and adds:

– When you see Marty carrying me into the water, and at the same time knowing that I wasn't supposed to swim in the sea until I could walk again, I think that gives people hope. It's much more important than a stunning knockout.