WATCH: From Being Told He’d Be Useless To Becoming Incredible: One Maltese Athlete’s Journey
When he was born, Nick’s doctors told his parents that their son wouldn’t amount to anything. 15 years later and he is capable of performing jaw-dropping feats of strength unmatched by the vast majority of athletes, disabled or otherwise.
Nick’s athletic capabilities and karate skills are so astounding that Fort Fitness has decided to get behind the aspiring paralympian to make his success as certain as can be.
What does Nick need to take his heroic journey to the next level?
A custom built wheelchair, handcrafted in the USA to the Paralympics specifications. Regretfully these do not come cheap, but lucky for Nick, Fort is more than delighted to foot the bill.
But let’s go back to where our story begins…
Meet Nick Mercieca, the athlete who’s performed outstanding feats in all areas of his life. Throughout his mother’s pregnancy it seemed that all was fine, but when Nick was born the doctors had some bad news for his parents. Nick was diagnosed with Spina bifida, which means that he was born with a hole in his back, thus restricting the use of his legs.
The doctors did not hold much hope for Nick, but even after a nine-hour operation, Nick made it clear that he was a fighter.
After his procedure, he still had the strength to lift his head. That moment marks the beginning of Nick Mercieca, the man who refuses to take no for an answer.
His week is filled to the brim with his weight, gym, calisthenics, and karate training, together with practicing with the Maltese national team. He’s had this hectic schedule for the past 3 years, but he loves it.
Jon Mallia met with Nick, his family and his coach at Fort Fitness to discover what lies at the heart of this incredible story. What he found was a small community of people bound together around one boy’s unstoppable will to persevere
“Nick and his family personify the highest human virtue – courage. Every day they step forward aggressively towards adversity and prevail. What an absolute honour it has been to have them share their story with me” – Jon Mallia.
Nick is just one stripe away from being awarded his karate black belt, all whilst juggling his training schedule and all the responsibilities that come with being a student. But a hectic schedule is not going to stop Nick anytime soon. He is determined to make sure that he gets his shot in Paris at the Summer Paralympics 2024.
Nick has touched the lives of everyone over at Fort Fitness so they have decided to help him out on his journey. In order for him to kick ass at karate he needs a specific type of wheelchair.
But specialised equipment is expensive…
That’s where Fort Fitness comes in. When they heard about Nick’s incredible story they immediately wanted to know how they could help him out on his heroic path to success.
Fort Fitness is committed to getting Nick a specialised wheelchair, which is currently being constructed with his specific measurements in the USA.
A special thanks goes to Julian Bajada from the Malta Paralympics Committee for bringing together Jon, Lovin Malta, the Mercieca family and Fort Fitness. Nick’s story is truly inspiring and a great testament to how one’s life is completely in their control. We look forward to supporting him in the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
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