Edina Leichter and Vivienne: Two ways of looking at the Massage World

 Who is Edina Leichter, and how did your journey into the world of massage begin?

I came from a healthcare background. I worked as a nurse for many years, and during that time I learned a great deal. Practical experience came almost naturally through my everyday work. I had always been deeply interested in the structure and function of the human body, and in how we can provide real help to people.

I began my career at a hospital in Budapest. After my children were born, I decided to continue my education and enrolled in a multi-year medical massage therapy programme. I was fortunate to have some wonderful teachers. The person who had the greatest professional influence on me is still part of my life today, and we have worked together several times over the years.

I believe that the knowledge and experience I gained in healthcare fundamentally shape the way I think and work as a therapist today.

What do you believe a judge should be looking for beyond technique alone?

The exact criteria a judge must evaluate are determined in advance by the organisers of each championship. These judging criteria are available to both the judges and the competitors. Before a competition, judges usually receive training, often online, about the specific elements and standards that will be most important at that particular event.

Massage competitions can be very different from one another. Some focus primarily on technical knowledge and therapeutic skills, while others place greater emphasis on visual presentation and performance. Personally, I prefer technically oriented competitions. Highly artistic presentations are not as close to my own professional approach, although I understand that there is a demand for them and that competitors should also be familiar with this side of the profession.

This preference probably comes from the fact that, in my everyday work, I am primarily searching for solutions. Of course, some of my clients also come to me simply to relax, but as a therapist, I usually try to find the most appropriate professional response to a particular problem.

I feel most comfortable judging competitions where the work presented is supported by genuine anatomical, physiological and professional knowledge. Perhaps this is also one of the reasons why competitors appreciate me as a judge. For me, knowledge, learning and education must always remain a priority. No matter how much experience we have, there is always room for further development.

What inspired you to start documenting the world of massage so passionately online?

I feel that it all truly began in 2021. At that time, I started presenting massage, massage championships and the people working within this profession from a different perspective.

My aim was not to produce yet another series of technical videos showing people how to learn a particular massage technique from YouTube, Facebook or Instagram. Instead, I wanted to capture the atmosphere, the human connections and the unique world that people experience at an international massage championship.

The videos we shared attracted a great deal of attention, and the social media platforms also began to grow very quickly. This was when my collaboration with international massage organisations and event organisers truly began.

Since then, I have received the social media award five times. However, it is important to understand that this recognition is not simply about creating a few well-edited videos. Social media is also about the way we communicate, the values we represent, the people whose stories we choose to share, and how we present them to the world.

Many people make the mistake of promoting only themselves again and again. This is, of course, only my personal opinion, but to me, that is not what social media is truly about. Social media belongs to everyone. The real magic lies in recognising the value in other people and bringing their stories to those who may never have the opportunity to attend an international massage championship in person.

During the Covid period, I also completed professional training in social media management. Therefore, in addition to creating content, I understand the professional and strategic side of social media as well. Topics such as purchased followers, the real value of likes, advertising and increasing visibility are much more complex. Perhaps I will speak about these subjects in greater detail on another occasion.

What would you like to change about the way people perceive the massage profession?

To be completely honest, I do not want to change everything. If someone offers a service that is primarily aesthetic or more superficial in nature, there is a demand for that too. At the same time, there is also a strong need for therapeutic work based on serious professional, anatomical and theoretical knowledge.

People usually provide the type of service that is needed within their own environment. I do not believe that it is my place to tell others what they should do or how they should work. Just as you cannot know exactly what is happening in your neighbour’s life, I cannot fully understand the professional circumstances of another therapist or the realities of working in a different country. Instead, I would like to show the diversity of the massage profession. The audience can then decide which direction, philosophy or professional approach they feel most connected to.

Is there a particular story or moment that has stayed with you?

I have so many stories that it would be extremely difficult to choose only one. I could speak about Peru or Japan, but I could just as easily share memorable stories from almost every championship I have attended.

Turkey, for example, holds a very special place in my heart. Ukraine was where I first truly felt that I had been thrown in at the deep end. There were 157 competitors, and I did not speak Ukrainian at all. Nevertheless, I had to fulfil my role, connect with people, remain focused and do my work. Every country, championship and community has given me a unique story. Perhaps one day I really will write a book about all these experiences.

How did travelling and documenting these events become something you and Vivienne do together?

Vivienne was still very young when she first entered the world of the World Massage Championship. At the time, she was only a teenage hobby photographer who was still learning. Today, she is 18 years old, and since then she has accompanied me to almost every massage championship. What began as travelling together and gaining experience gradually developed into genuine professional collaboration. Vivienne has now received more than twelve international invitations. She does not simply accompany me to these events, she works there as a photographer, observes the people around her and captures moments that might otherwise disappear forever just a few seconds later.

At first, it was difficult for her to work among so many people, strong personalities and different energies. However, I feel that she is becoming increasingly confident, and over time she has developed her own distinctive way of seeing the world.

As a mother, what does it mean to share this world with your daughter?

This is a very personal and interesting subject for me because I have two children. Vivienne travels with me frequently, but my son has also demonstrated his talent for photography in Moldova and Azerbaijan. As a mother, it is very special to see my children experience this international world. Vivienne’s story is particularly unique because she is not a massage therapist and she is still in secondary school. For her, photography is an activity that gives her energy and joy, while also allowing her to present this community through her own eyes.

I would love more people to discover and follow Vivienne’s work and her unique perspective. She notices moments that others might overlook. A massage championship is full of unique, unrepeatable moments that we may witness for only a few seconds in real life, and she is able to preserve them.

For me, one of the most beautiful moments is when someone sees their photograph for the first time, smiles and then says in disbelief, “My God, this is so beautiful! Is that really me in this photograph?” And yes, it really is them. Vivienne simply has the ability to recognise and reveal a kind of beauty that the person may never have noticed in themselves before.

Closing Thoughts

I think it is wonderful that events like these exist. They are not only about competition, rankings, medals or professional recognition. They give us the opportunity to meet one another, learn from each other and understand the people behind the techniques, titles and social media profiles.

We may come from different countries, speak different languages and approach massage in different ways, but during these events, we become part of the same international community. This is perhaps one of the greatest values of massage championships: they bring people together and allow us to truly get to know one another.

Interview collected for our magazine. Special thanks to Edina Leichter and Vivienne massage for them availability and the sincerity with which they shared own visions.