Former WVU wrestler to share his story about ATVs, alcohol and lessons learned
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The combination of alcohol and an ATV changed the life of former West Virginia University wrestler Mike Wojcik forever. He will return to campus and share the lessons he learned from this experience at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12 in the Mountainlair Ballrooms.
After graduating from WVU and just three weeks before he was to begin working as a teacher, Wojcik got on the back of an ATV after he and the driver had been drinking. Neither was wearing a helmet. The driver lost control of the vehicle, launching Wojcik into a tree head first.
Wojcik spent three months in a coma. When he woke up, his family was told he would probably never be able to speak, walk, talk or even have the ability to remember or learn. After a long and hard road to recovery, he now speaks out to others about the true dangers of mixing alcohol and risky behaviors in hopes of preventing accidents such as his.
“I just want everyone to know that with anything and everything that happens to you in life you are given a choice. You can either let it motivate and drive you, or you can let it bring you down. We can never control what happens to us in life, but we can always control how we react to it,” Wojcik said. “If I can inspire one person or change one person’s life or make one person think before they act, it’s worth all the time and energy I put into it.”
This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the WVU School of Public Health, WVU Office of Student Affairs, WVU Greek Life, WELLWVU and the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program.
After graduating from WVU and just three weeks before he was to begin working as a teacher, Wojcik got on the back of an ATV after he and the driver had been drinking. Neither was wearing a helmet. The driver lost control of the vehicle, launching Wojcik into a tree head first.
Wojcik spent three months in a coma. When he woke up, his family was told he would probably never be able to speak, walk, talk or even have the ability to remember or learn. After a long and hard road to recovery, he now speaks out to others about the true dangers of mixing alcohol and risky behaviors in hopes of preventing accidents such as his.
“I just want everyone to know that with anything and everything that happens to you in life you are given a choice. You can either let it motivate and drive you, or you can let it bring you down. We can never control what happens to us in life, but we can always control how we react to it,” Wojcik said. “If I can inspire one person or change one person’s life or make one person think before they act, it’s worth all the time and energy I put into it.”
This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the WVU School of Public Health, WVU Office of Student Affairs, WVU Greek Life, WELLWVU and the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program.