Canadian civil engineering student Ariz Bhimani was 20 years old when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
He continued his studies through his orchiectomy, chemotherapy, recurrent cancer, and — eventually — his remission.
Throughout treatment, Bhimani shouldered immense physical pain, and mental stress, but one thought kept surfacing in his brain: He absolutely hated wearing underwear.
“Back in 2019, after my diagnosis, I felt a lack of support and compression from my underwear and experienced a significant amount of chafing on my surgical site,” Bhimani explained to the Aurora Banner, a local news outlet in Aurora, Canada.
“So I combined my civil engineering skills and my experience to develop something better.”
Bhimani created the underwear he wished he’d had, the “Recovery Boxer Brief.”
It was a garment with precision compression and support, with optional pockets for hot and cold anatomical gel packs.
In 2023, the Recovery Boxer Brief first place for “empowering invention” in University of Windsor’s EPICentre competition.
Fast forward a year to early October, when Bhimani’s business — BRFZY — caught the attention of Futurpreneur’s Rock My Business, a free Canadian workshop which issues $10,000 grants to selected winners.
Bhimani was recently announced as one of eight business owners who received the grant.
Currently, the Recovery Boxer Briefs are awaiting official launch, and BRFZY has a waitlist available for sign up. The website states that although Bhimani’s cancer journey served as inspiration for the product, the hope is that it helps people going through a variety of life events, from vasectomy to hip replacement, down to an unexpected sports injury.
“BRFZY not only offers a practical product but also symbolizes the triumph of the human spirit over life-altering obstacles,” reads a mission statement on Bhimani’s company website.
“[It’s] encouraging users to take control of their recovery journey and reclaim pride in their healing process.”
Header image via Ariz Bhimani / BRFZY
