Rehabilitation counseling graduate student Piotr Pasik is a dedicated soccer player, even with his mobility disability.
Editors Note: This is the second story in a week-long series on students with various handicaps and disabilities. Keep checking The State News for more student profiles. To read the first story in the series, click here.
Rehabilitation counseling graduate student Piotr Pasik is a dedicated soccer player.
“It took me three or four seasons to get my first goal,” said Pasik, who plays forward by the opposing goal as an extra player. “I’d tell you, ‘You’re crazy,’ if you told me that would happen almost 400 times.”
Pasik grew up with cerebral palsy, a disorder that affects his muscles and balance and limits his mobility. Originally from Poland, his family moved to Michigan in the 1990s, seeking a more accepting society and better treatment options for their son.
Staying active has been a major part of his life. He trains for track and is preparing for a half-marathon this summer.
“It was never easy at first,” he said. “But I think just with anything in life, whether you have a disability or not, once you’ve started achieving a little bit of success at something that you put time into, you’re willing to put more time into it and you gain confidence.”
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