Heart and determination
January 11, 2006
Imagine for a moment, at age 15 you are a bat boy for the Milwaukee Brewers, as you grow older you go to high school and became a 7 time varsity letter winner staring in Football, Basketball, Baseball and Track and Field. You talk to a recruiter from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse to play basketball at the Division III level. You also play on the USA volleyball team in Sydney for the Olympics. Now imagine doing all of that, with just one arm.
Tim Kujawa did, and in spite of great odds he succeeded and overcame his disability. He played peewee football with the Jr. Lasers, went to Kettle Moraine High School where he excelled at multiple sports and was successful in the classroom. I caught up with Tim and was inspired by how he achieved so much with his heart and determination. Tim plays for the Lake Country Cyclones as an offensive guard and loves the game of football. "The IFL is a great league for guys who want to carry on the sport" Tim says, "If it weren't for the IFL I wouldn't be playing today."
Besides being a great athlete he is also a great person with a positive attitude, "Everybody loves him" Nick Corgait says of his teammate, "He's hard not to like because he's just an all around happy and humble guy." At nine years old Tim was playing baseball with a lump on his left arm, as fate would have it he got struck with a baseball right on the lump which caused him great pain. He then went to the doctor and found out disheartening news, as they examined Tim's arm they found a blood clot which was under a cancer cell. Tim at only 9 years old lost his left arm and faced adversity early. Being a true competitor he never gave up on sports and was determined to succeed and did. Tim has committed to play for the Lake Country Cyclones for 2006 as they prepare to make their title run; he wants to be one of the premier linemen in the league. No doubt about it, with Tim's heart and determination anything is possible.