Kopaonik, March 2019 – When two champions meet on the ski slopes of Kopaonik, they push the boundaries, showing that what is impossible for many is possible. Nemanja Tadic, a disabled trophy swimmer who has an amputated left leg and uses a prosthesis, learns to ride a snowboard with instructions from Jurica Stankovic, multiple national champion in the sport.
As a seven-year-old boy, Nemanja contracted bone cancer, which led doctors to have his left leg amputated, first to his knees and then above his knees. Until recently, he was actively involved in swimming as a member of PAK “Delfin” from Nis and participated in domestic and international competitions winning mostly gold medals, we will mention 4 gold and one silver at the European Games, as well as a gold medal at the university games in Croatia.
“The accident that struck me in my early childhood was terrible at that moment, but I did not surrender but tried and struggled to have a quality and interesting life. I matured before my peers and looked at life realistically, realizing day by day that life was beautiful. Playing sports has taught me that there is no situation in life that I cannot come out as a winner. Strong will is the key to everything and then every goal can be achieved, as is snowboarding.” – says through a smile Nemanja Tadić.
Nemanja is also a Serbian national team player in para-athletics – in the 2018 European competition he finished fourth. In addition to swimming and now athletics, Nemanja Tadić is engaged in hobbies and running, climbing artificial rock, hiking, and here he has also tried snowboarding with the help of his friend and champion Jurica Stanković.
” During one interview in Niš, because he is my Nišlija, Nemanja and I came up with the idea to try to learn how to ride a snowboard and here we are. We have broken through the barriers and are making good progress in training, and Nemanja is already slowly gaining ground in driving.
Nemanja is our Hero … A guy who pushes the boundaries of the possible by proving to all of us that we always have to fight in our lives. It is an honor to work with him and impart his knowledge to him. When two champions meet, everything is possible. Thank you Nemanja for life, struggle and persistence lessons.” – said Jurica Stankovic, multiple national snowboard and skiing champion, former director of the Serbian Ski Resort, honorary citizen of Georgia and, as he likes to say, Nišlija.
Photo:Evin Eva Pešić
