At the apex of the Strive logo is the human brain.

It only weighs about 1.5 kg, and is about 2% of our total body weight, and yet it is the most complex organ in the universe.

It is made up of more than 100 billion neurons that communicate across trillions of synaptic connections.

Someone once asked a neuroscientist 'What does the brain do?'. 'EVERYTHING' they replied

It meticulously controls breathing, balance, heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure. It gives spatial awareness and a sense of presence. All of a person's speech and language, their social interactions ... their ability to cry and feel pain ... to love and be loved ... to be anxious, to run from danger, to be at peace and to rest. To spiritualise and philosophy ...  to logically think and reason ... to plan, organise, goal set and problem-solve ... to be creative and to be intuitive.

To remember! To reminisce. To learn and problem-solve ... to adapt and evolve ... learn from one's mistakes. To contemplate, consider, ponder, value and question.

To make sense of the world ... to believe in God. All emotions and behaviours, and the ability to control and regulate behaviour. The personality. Physical movement. Actions and reactions. 

The brain can process every sensory input from the world around it ... all the raw data from the senses ... everything a person sees, touches, hears, tastes and smells is received at lightning speed, analysed, interpreted, made sense of, remembered and consolidated for future retrieval.

'What does the brain do?' you asked. 'EVERYTHING' I replied.

'Rehabilitation' is the process of regaining and restoring maximum ability following an injury or illness. This often involves hard work and determination. This rehabilitation journey is captured in the symbolism of a person in forward momentum, striving towards their goal.

The pattern is also based on the tukutuku panels that adorn the wharenui (meeting house). This particular pattern is known as 'Kaokao' which represent human ribs and armpits, and is a symbol of human strength and endeavour.