Like many of us Vasilis Comblas has had to overcome the problems that COVID-19 threw at small business owners. 

Although over the past few difficult years, he was a little more creative, learnt from his past mistakes, built up a successful business and is now giving back to the community. 

In 2013, Vasilis put all his money into launching a new fitness centre that went into liquidation. This financial failure was a hard lesson but wasn’t the end of the road as it led him to re-evaluate his life.

“I had to lose everything I owned, my savings, my family and my sense of self-worth before I was capable of moving forward in the right way,” he said.

Vasilis’ business failure wasn’t the end of the road, he got back up, made another charge, and hit pay dirt. 

His passion for cars re-crafted his business focus and helped him develop Iconic American Imports. “It was great, I was travelling to the USA several times a year searching for American Muscle Cars – it was every car enthusiasts dream - then COVID hit and within a week everything stopped”. 

Vas was determined to make this business work. “We changed our way of doing business, instead of personal face-to-face everything was done online, and it worked!”

Today, Iconic American Imports is busier than ever, Vasilis employs six people and hasn’t forgotten the way he felt after his last business failed. “I was depressed, nothing left, business people I trusted let me down. I was at the lowest point in my life, luckily for me I had good friends who supported me, I took responsibility, paid off my debts and looked at it as a positive step forward.”

Due to his own personal downward spiral and knowing a close friend who committed suicide due to depression, Vasilis set his mind to helping others. He has set up the Thunderbolt Run Event, a week-long car rally from Sunshine Coast to Sydney that raises money for Beyond Blue. 

Vas’s supercars and muscle cars can often be seen at Ricks Garage in Palmwoods and is planning a car event soon.

He also takes the Thunderbolt Run Corvette (pictured) along with other sports cars for drives to Maleny, Montville and around the hinterland for photoshoots and lunches.

Vas is planning another car event and photoshoot in the hinterland to capture video for the Thunderbolt Run promos, so he will be doing a callout to all owners of super or performance cars in the Hinterland to join him.

• Contact Vas direct on 0429 877 997 or go to www.thunderboltrun.com.au