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Playing Forward's Ethos

At Playing Forward, we believe injury should never end an athlete’s dream.
Too often, young athletes are forced to quit—not by the injury itself, but by the lack of treatment, resources, and guidance.
Our mission is to change that by making recovery accessible, affordable, and inspiring,
so every athlete has the chance to heal, to hope, and to keep playing forward.

Founder’s Story

In September 2022, Poom Taedullayasatit suffered a severe Grade 3 Knee Dislocation from soccer, where he tore his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus, and with it seemingly stripping away his lifelong sporting dreams and identity. Over the next 18 months, he underwent surgery and intensive rehabilitation under the guidance of physiotherapists and healthcare professionals and emotional encouragement from family. Yet even with support, he often felt lost and faced mental and physical roadblocks.

As he progressed in his recovery, Poom realized that many athletes in similar situations never get the same resources and privilege to recover. Having experienced the pain and understanding the challenges of injury, he founded Playing Forward to help underprivileged athletes access recovery support, rebuild their strength, and continue pursuing the sports they love.

About Our Founder

Poomkarn (Poom) Taedullayasatit founded Playing Forward at the age of 15, driven by a passion for tackling health challenges faced by young athletes.

 

Beyond Playing Forward, he created Actimus, a patented rehabilitation device and app that gamifies EMS and EMG to combat muscle atrophy through engaging, effective training. He also developed the Mongkhon Headguard, designed to protect young Muay Thai fighters from brain injuries. His work has been recognised internationally, including being named one of the Top 25 Emerging Innovators by the Diamond Challenge.

 

Poom is equally passionate about speech and advocacy. He served as Vice-Captain of the Thailand National Debate Team, leading it to its best result in eight years at WSDC, and became the first Thai finalist in Public Speaking at WIDPSC. Academically, he earned a Silver Medal at the International Economics Olympiad, highlighting his broad engagement with global issues.

 

With both engineering expertise and voice-driven leadership, Poom is dedicated to creating real impact on real-world problems.