Impossible Is Nothing
Lessons from the Champions - Paralympian Natalia Partyka
Natalia Partyka is an extraordinary Paralympian from Poland who has achieved remarkable success in table tennis. Born without a right hand and forearm, she began playing the sport at the age of seven and quickly rose through the ranks. Natalia has competed in both the Paralympic and Olympic Games, a truly rare and impressive feat. She won her first Paralympic gold medal in 2004 at just 15 years old and has since secured multiple gold medals across several Paralympic Games. Her determination and skill have made her a symbol of resilience and excellence in sports, inspiring countless athletes around the world.
As Natalia shared her incredible journey as a Paralympian and the challenges she faced while competing against able-bodied, the key takeaway that she drove home was her motto – ‘Impossible is nothing’. She reminded our student-athletes that there was nothing that they could not achieve if they put their mind to it and worked hard to achieve what they set out to.
Natalia also shared that finding joy in training and competing is key to succeeding as an athlete. There would be days when it would be difficult to get up for morning training and training could feel repetitive after a while. However, she encouraged our student-athletes to ask themselves why they started in the first place and enjoy the process they are going through to become full-fledged athletes.
We thank Natalia for inspiring our student-athletes and wish her all the best for the Paralympic Games!
Natalia Partyka is an extraordinary Paralympian from Poland who has achieved remarkable success in table tennis. Born without a right hand and forearm, she began playing the sport at the age of seven and quickly rose through the ranks. Natalia has competed in both the Paralympic and Olympic Games, a truly rare and impressive feat. She won her first Paralympic gold medal in 2004 at just 15 years old and has since secured multiple gold medals across several Paralympic Games. Her determination and skill have made her a symbol of resilience and excellence in sports, inspiring countless athletes around the world.
As Natalia shared her incredible journey as a Paralympian and the challenges she faced while competing against able-bodied, the key takeaway that she drove home was her motto – ‘Impossible is nothing’. She reminded our student-athletes that there was nothing that they could not achieve if they put their mind to it and worked hard to achieve what they set out to.
Natalia also shared that finding joy in training and competing is key to succeeding as an athlete. There would be days when it would be difficult to get up for morning training and training could feel repetitive after a while. However, she encouraged our student-athletes to ask themselves why they started in the first place and enjoy the process they are going through to become full-fledged athletes.
We thank Natalia for inspiring our student-athletes and wish her all the best for the Paralympic Games!
