The 35-year-old Polish footballer has made history after being awarded for scoring at FIFA 2022 in a magnificent display of self-improvement.
Marcin Oleksi will never forget that FIFA The Best 2022. The Polish footballer became the first amputee to win a Puskas award with a great goal from a chalaca on one leg. His goal surpassed that of Richarlison at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and Dimitri Payet in the Conference League. What’s great about this performance, however, is that it’s set against the backdrop of an emotional and moving story of self-improvement by Oleksy, who suffered a life-changing accident years ago.
35-year-old Marcin Oleksy currently plays for a team called Warta Poznan, which plays a championship in his country made up of amputee athletes. The pirouette he performed in a match against Stal Rzeszow was impressive, and even more so given the physical strength and coordination he performed in his condition. Who is Marcin Oleksy?
Marcin Oleksy and the accident that changed his life
Marcin Oleksy liked soccer since childhood and when he played soccer back then he played it as a goalkeeper. He wasn’t professionally involved in sports, so winning the FIFA Puskas award was utopian for him. The Pole worked as a laborer and did this work that he lost a leg: a heavy machine accidentally fell on him, which destroyed the limb.
He told the FIFA+ channel that he doesn’t feel any pain but is afraid to think about whether he will survive the tragedy. The transition from this traumatic episode was at the moment when he woke up in the hospital after an operation. Although he saw that he was missing one of his legs, he said he wasn’t sad because he was already somewhat prepared to have seen how he was doing when the incident happened.
Marcin Oleksy was picked for the Puskas over Richarlison and Dimitri Payet. Photo: FIFA
Overcoming Marcel Oleksy and his return to football
The accident that left him disabled happened on November 20, 2010, when Oleksy was 23 years old. He was expecting a child from his partner, and she had to take care of virtually every day-to-day chore while he adjusted to a new lifestyle. Fortunately, with a lot of strength and your support, he was able to move forward bit by bit.
He only returned to playing football in 2019 after spending two years in a wheelchair and using crutches. He said kicking a ball again with his son was a turning point in his life. This gave him great pleasure and he began to train with great dedication. Time rewarded his efforts and he was captured by the Polish Amputee Team.
Marcin Oleksy expresses that he is a happy person and having a great time in his life. Photo: SportoweFakty
Twelve years after this accident, Marcel Oleksy received the Puskas Prize in front of the whole world. Despite losing a leg, he is very happy with his life and with the fact that this bump has made him realize that he is capable of dealing with any problem.