Paralympian Andrew Panazzolo is hoping to lead SA’s cerebral palsy to the national title, with some help from Johnny Warren medallist Marcos Flores
Johnny Warren medallist Marcos Flores has teamed up with Paralympian Andrew Panazzolo to help SA win soccer’s cerebral palsy national title.
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Paralympian Andrew Panazzolo, with the help of Adelaide City playmaker and Johnny Warren medallist Marcos Flores and Football Federation SA coach Jake Brindley, has assembled an SA team hoping to claim the Australian Cerebral Palsy championship in Sydney this week.
Panazzolo is a cycling silver medallist in the 2004 Athens Paralympics 1km time trial and bronze medallist in the 3km individual pursuit.
He was also a member of the Australian Sydney 2000 paralympic soccer team.
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Panazzolo had the idea of putting a cerebral palsy soccer team together in 2008.
“I found myself in soccer and made a comeback and want to give these boys a chance like I had,” Panazzolo said during the side’s final training session at West Beach on Monday.
“I still kept in touch with the soccer boys and every year they hold these nationals.
“I wanted a team from SA and I started in 2008 and in between that I had to leave the program for work commitments and family commitments and then I found myself back here and I found myself coming back to the boys that are here now.
“Back when I started (the program) they were little kids in primary school and now they’re adults and they’re all working and it’s great to see them with the team.
“They want me to play too but I’ll give the boys glory but to me soccer is like a religion.
“Soccer brings the community together and it brings the team together and people together.
“Having cerebral palsy it’s not a problem, we have to embrace it and to have a whole group of boys from all over Australia having CP to compete for a game of soccer, I can’t think of anything better.”
With Flores passing on all his intricate knowledge of being a professional footballer, Panazzolo, 40, a concrete polisher was delighted with his men’s progress in a short space of time.
The team is made up of a number of men that have various skills.
Taylor Harvey, 22, is a journalist from the Border Chronicle at Bordertown.
Chris Okley, 23, works for the SANFL and SACA.
Nash McLean, 22, is graphic designer so too is Thomas Ng, 25.
James Von Stanke, 30, adores soccer.
And Riley Stubing, 15, goes to St Michael's College and is also an umpire for SANFL juniors.
Cerebral Palsy affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills.
It is often caused by brain damage that happens before or during a baby's birth, or during the first three to five years of a child's life.