The sports teacher in a wheelchair

"ready, set, go!", calls the sports teacher David Mzee and blows a short whistle still in his Trill. The run begins. White against red. The a-team dribbles the Basketball across the field, hall A, while the other tries to you with a nifty Bowling-throw shoot. The noise level increases, the floor vibrates, the balls bounce or roll back and forth across the gym. The 13 young people in the business school, KV Wetzikon seems to like it.

"Mega well, mega fun," enthuses the 18-year-old Luana Di Benedetto, in the case of a property Trustee to purchase woman form and now the cross-section of David Mzee paralyzed as a substitute in physical education. In the beginning, she asked herself how this all should work. But now it is normal. "Mega cool, that you have given him a Chance," the 19-year-old Sergio Fernandez, KV-apprentice at a travel Agency. "You don't even realize that he is in a wheelchair."

First steps in freehand

David Mzee his apartment in Wetzikon is currently at the business school close temporarily to the sports holiday of two days in the week, the teaching of sport, is based on an article in the "Tages-Anzeiger" from the beginning of November. Since a sporting accident in 2010, the cross-section of one of the three patients who participated in a study, the ETH Lausanne and the University hospital part was paralyzed. Using an implanted neuro-stimulator in the spinal cord and intense Training, he learned to go back to a piece. For a big stir, that he was in a bullion even a few steps, without using the hands for support.

But how did it come to employment? "He had spoken to me on a private two years ago whether I could imagine him as a sports teacher", says Jürg Haefelin, rector of the business school, KV Wetzikon. At the time, he was almost reflexively immediately said no. The portrait of Mzee in the "Tages-Anzeiger" had led him but, once again, about the refusal to think. Why not? A later post on TeleZüri had reaffirmed its decision. Finally, this could promote the social competence of young people.

Speed record on the treadmill

It was an ordinary November day in 2010, as the life of David Mzee changed in a fraction of a second. During the Training miss a triple Salto was the former ETH students of human movement Sciences, so that he landed in the center upside down Rümlang in the foam pit. He suffered severe back injuries, and was afraid of suffocating, and was flown by helicopter of the Rega to the hospital. The eventual diagnosis: fracture on cervical vertebra 6 and 7. "A brutal Moment," recalls Mzee. The unimaginable shock that he would be paralyzed forever, he had already been at the scene of the accident, when he fought in the foam of the pit to air rank and Survival.

David Mzee always tried, even if it was so hard to look forward and to the pointless question "Why me?" constantly arise. The blow of fate shaped him, showed him that he can still achieve a lot. When he was recently in Lausanne to the rehabilitation Training on the treadmill, he prepared for a moment a Speed record of 3.3 kilometers per hour. "Hey, come a little bit faster," he encouraged himself. He wanted to explore the Limit.

In the case of all the donors in person

thanks to train, thanks to a Crowdfunding campaign set up by a good friend of him, he can at home. "I am completely overwhelmed that complete strangers will support me," he says. Within a month, more than 150 people have donated to over 25'000 Swiss francs. The aim was to collect 24361 francs to buy a medical treadmill and a body weight support system. He can't feel himself privileged, and responsibility at the same time, since it is only to him alone.

"That gives me a lot of energy," says Mzee. Therefore, he was grateful to all of our donors personally. He also got to invite some of the very generous donor of a Raclette meal in the apartment. He wanted to give something back and expensive exercise devices. So far, he has only a bars on the balcony, he makes a few steps, to see if it works in the same way as during the Lausanne study.

national players in Rugby

When it comes to sports, the 30-year-old sports teacher entirely in his Element. Since 2012, he plays Rugby in the national team. There it is the real thing. Often the special Rugby wheelchairs a blast together at the Match or roll over. To be able to the Ball better and keep catch, in his hand a little glue on shoes. Only in October has brought his Team to the silver medal at the B-European Championships in Finland, so it is now ascended to the highest European League.

The ambitious Mzee has not only the highest standards, but also to his Wetziker students. In front of the entrance of the hall, he checked the attendance list. Duty is duty. Students who want to excuse with pain in the Arm or in the leg for the participation in the teaching, he proposes that they could train in the weight room. He can show you special Exercises. And who forgot his gym kit, can, exceptionally, take part in his everyday clothes.

Full of enthusiasm, he keeps the eight women and five men of the class E16a on the trot. Mzees Motto: Learn, make, laugh. "The first two laps Warm up, then do a few pushups," he says, sitting up and curving quickly to a lying on the ground Ball to collect it. "All of Europe?", he asks now. In fact, the whole troop of young people sets itself immediately in motion, followed his instructions and ran several times from one side to the other.

in Order to train tactics and speed, equal to the next Exercise. Mzee brings now a white panel with red magnets, which are intended to represent five players on a basketball Hoop. "Who gives a Pass or in the basket throws, then switches with another in the space," he explains. After that, the two teams play against each other. Again and again he reminds you that the defender has to think of the man coverage and the attacker should run to meet the Ball.

"tale"

all out of pity so well? "No, out of respect," says the 18-year-old Ramon Zinniker, the KV-apprentice and in a club playing football. Mzee had a "hell of a story". But you wouldn't have even talked about it. It was not a big issue. "It is also important to move as much as possible," sport teacher Mzee. Anyone who wants to know him, however, or even more, the will tell he, of course, its history. But most of all after the lesson, because otherwise, valuable time is much too fast around.

"6:4" Mzee, claps and whistles from the game. If the newspaper is there, then it's over, yeah wonderful, he says with a laugh. Then the technical Feedback of the following: you have now learned all the tactics: dribble, 1:1 Situation, Fit, Throw, layup. Also the set up and have worked out great. Everyone on a space, his Ball. In the last hour before Christmas, the pupils should then choose between the three sports.

"He's very structured, and can explain things well", says Sergio fernández. It is mega's Fun. "I would not have thought that it goes so well," added the 18-year-old Zeynep Sirikli, which makes an apprenticeship as a clerk in the municipal administration of Seegräben. David Mzee grabs now its white explanatory panel in the black backpack on the wheelchair. Until the middle of February he will teach again in Wetzikon, then its representation is over for the time being. However, currently there are talks going on, whether he can make the next school year with a small workload.

in January, he also has a small part-time basis as a Consultant for a medical company. And, more recently, has registered a television team from Germany and one from Australia with him. All wanted to see how he was doing with a few of steps, the impossible possible, he says. His everyday life, says David Mzee, but still mainly in a wheelchair.

(Tages-Anzeiger)

Created: 18.12.2018, 18:36 PM