The father of the Greens’ center was involved in a car crash and has been in a wheelchair ever since
Olek Balcerowski, Panathinaikos: ‘Basketball saved my father’s life’
For Olek Balcerowski, he has always known his father, Marcin, in a wheelchair.
The Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens big man was born in November 2000, but 27 months prior, in August 1998, a severe car crash resulted in Marcin seriously injuring his spine and spinal cord, leaving him wheelchair-bound.
Yet, the sport of basketball provided a second opportunity to Olek’s father, who was a semi-professional player before the crash and went on to become a star wheelchair basketball player, even representing the Polish national team at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Last summer, shortly after Olek had joined Panathinaikos, Marcin came out of retirement to sign for the Greens’ wheelchair team, allowing them to play for the same club team for the first time in their careers.