In my last blog post, I talked about disadvantages of living with a disability in Cyprus. This time, I want to share something more positive. Mustafa Celik is a friend of my father’s. Once he was a famous man on the Turkish side of the island. He was a star soccer player when in 1982, at age 19, the car in which he was a passenger rolled over. He agreed to share his story with me for this blog post.
After his accident he was depressed sometimes to the point of suicide. And then one day, “My teacher asked me, “Would you like to play basketball?’ I said, ” What do you mean? Stop teasing me.’ So I met with the guys at the gym. It changed my life. I began to live again. Sports was something that was everything to me. So I stopped thinking about death. I thought, “I’m not finished.'”
Mustafa loves team sports. And advocacy to him is a team sport. One of his first accomplishments was convincing the Turkish-Cypriot sports authority to purchase 10 wheelchairs so the basketball team could compete internationally as it still does today. The team actually has gained a lot of reputation in the island, and they are very successful.
The National Basketball Team before an international game.
Mustafa says on the Turkish side of the island, advocacy is more a matter of persuasion than confrontation. “The Cypriot people are very very very good people. Mediterranean people as you know are warm blooded and they’ve got a very warm heart. As long as you show them something you really need, that’s it. They don’t fight you. But you have to push.” To me, this is another way of saying “If there is will, there is a way.”
I’m glad you followed up your last post wit this very positive message! I fully believe in the power of sport to empower individuals of all types and to bring people together. I also love that you shared a personal story like this, it makes the message that much more impactful.