¶ Jamie's Early Soccer Dream and Diagnosis
Could you play soccer on one leg? I'm Adam from Ripley's.com, and this is your Weird Minute. Jamie Trugaskis loves soccer. When he was 6 or 7, he kicked around his first ball and was soon on the field with friends. Taking to the sport quickly, he was 11 when he was scouted by Manchester City and put on a track headed for the pros. Tragically, at 13, he felt sudden soreness and weakness in his left leg. At first, he shrugged it off as a soccer injury that would soon pass.
As Tregascus began to suffer from rapid weight loss and fatigue, doctors decided to investigate further and eventually they found osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer.
¶ Triumph in Amputee Soccer
His left leg had to be amputated, but in the hospital, Tregascus met another amputee patient. He introduced the crestfallen athlete to the world of amputee soccer. Watching his first game, Tregascus was impressed with how demanding and difficult the game looked. Hopping around a soccer field on crutches looked challenging. As soon as he was physically able, he joined the team, quickly becoming a star player. Now he travels the world competing against other amputee teams.
To see Tragaskis in action, visit riplews.com, rate The Weird Minute if you haven't already, and tune in tomorrow for another Minute of Odd.