Athlete Spotlight – Jarek Neczypor: Adventurous Mindset
August 21, 2021 | Story by Megan Trexler | Commander, Navy Installations Command
WASHINGTON – “Adventure is worthwhile.” Aesop’s quote perfectly describes LTJG Jarek Neczypor.
The Sacramento, California native shared, without hesitation, that his favorite quote is "The road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow, if I can,” by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Neczypor said that this is his favorite quote because he believes it’s about destiny. He expressed, “Wherever I am, I am traveling down a road, the road of life.”
His sense of adventure and having a resilient mindset didn’t start when he joined the Navy Wounded Warrior family. Neczypor shared that this has always been his outlook. He also said that once, during the middle of his hike of Japan’s Mount Fuji, he got stuck on the active volcano during a tropical storm.
Neczypor, a freshman Team Navy athlete, was slated to compete in four sports during the 2021 Department of Defense Warrior Games. His sports would have included cycling, indoor rowing, shooting, and track. Neczypor shared that, because this was his first games, he was looking forward to competing in all of the sports.
Neczypor remains on active duty and is stationed in Naval Amphibious Base (COMNAVSURFAC) in Coronado, California.
Navy Wounded Warrior is the Navy’s sole organization for coordinating the non-medical care of seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors and Coast Guardsmen and providing resources and support to their families.
The Warrior Games are a Paralympic-style competition among more than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members from all branches of the U.S. military, as well as from international armed forces. The 2021 Department of Defense Warrior Games would have been hosted at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida from September 12-22, 2021. The invitation-only event was going to feature 12 sports: archery, cycling, field, golf, indoor rowing, powerlifting, shooting (precision air), sitting volleyball, swimming, track, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. The 2021 DoD Warrior Games were canceled due to ensure the safety, health and well-being of our service members and local communities as the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to affect the country.