Active all my life
At the age of 10, I joined the Scouts, where I became even more fond of wild nature and became interested in survival techniques.
Scouting combined with regular judo training [brown belt] gave me character and determination, and my many-year adventure with combat sports led me to the MMA cage in 2018, winning the runner-up position at the Polish Cup – amateurs, of course, but still! 😀
In addition to martial arts, I trained cross-country skiing for several years, in which I also did quite well – I won gold at the Polish Cup – Podlasie Championships [junior].
Discovering my true self
During high school, I became a lifeguard because I felt very good in the water, but also because I was simply interested in rescuing others. For many years I was a volunteer member, an honorary blood donor and a proud patriot!
I discovered that supporting other people gives me great joy. Supporting others in their development, helping them overcome their barriers or helping them realize their dreams – gives me a sense of satisfaction. Some of my students have already become diving professionals and we work together in the industry.
Human physiology and understanding cognitive processes fascinated me so much that I aspired to go to medical school. However, already in my second year of high school I knew that medicine was not for me and I wanted to try something different.
The sensitive part of me started showing signs. I became interested in art – including music and theater. I thought that being an actor was the perfect profession for me – I could be someone else in every role! Once a lawyer, once a doctor, and next time an athlete or soldier! Today, I often play the role of a psychotherapist for demanding students. 😉 The ability to play the guitar allows me to express my emotions, but it is also a great skill to have during evening meetings with friends.
Right after graduating from high school, I went to the big city of Krakow to study acting. For almost a year, I tried to delve into the meanders of my soul, discovering my sensitivity and empathy – I began to learn how to understand other people. It was a milestone in my teenage life. I learned a lot from this period, but only a few months after starting classes I knew that acting was not “my thing”.
Flash in the pan? Or maybe a constant search for the answer to the question: what do I want to do in life?
Discovering The World
At the age of 20, I went to the USA for a year-long cultural exchange. The culture there opened my eyes to many things! I realized that the world is beautiful and small! And life gives us a lot of opportunities!
Many questions have arisen during many journeys. Why should I choose just one of all these hobbies when I’m attracted to all of them? Why should I choose only one place on earth when I like traveling and learning about other cultures?
It turned out that the life model I knew [studies, family, home, job 9-5] is just one of many options life gives us. I already knew that after my stay in Florida, nothing would be the same as before. However, I still didn’t know the answer to this one super important question. Until…
How I became a diving instructor
One day, at the age of 21, I was late for MMA training. I skipped the warm-up and went into sparring with a bang – and so it happened. My disc slipped causing pressure on my spinal cord. Before I agreed to any invasive procedure, I first obtained reliable information from Google. Google told me to start swimming… So I went to the pool and I was swimming for a few months.
Once at the end of the session, I noticed a poster that said “Try diving.” And then all the dots connected and I found out the answer to my super important question! A perfect plan was born in my head: I would become a diving instructor, live in the tropics, and train martial arts. Simple, right? The only problem was that I had never dived in my life.
I called this diving school from the poster and asked how much time and money it would take to become a professional diver. The offer was quite attractive, so after just a few months I obtained the title of Divemaster [pre-instructor level], diving mainly in Lake Hańcza and the Baltic Sea. Then I went to Thailand to get one of the most beautiful professions in the world – I became a diving instructor.