Spring Break
On top of the world
Rebecca Jania
Issue date: 2/3/03 Section: News
The expedition visited various sites, including Moscow, Lenin’s tomb, Star City, the Woolly Mammoth Digs in Khatanga, the Siberian Tundra, the world’s most northern airfield and the North Pole.
“The idea of standing on the very top of the world and having the entire earth spinning below you at this one certain spot creates a feeling that you will never forget. Every direction you look is south. Walking in a small circle enables a person to step into every longitudinal section of the planet within a few seconds. Standing on top of the world is a truly different experience,” Dyrek said.
While Dyrek enjoyed visiting the North Pole, it wasn’t an entirely pleasant experience.
“I was in a lot of pain. I just never felt good because of the problems in my abdomen and the fact that I caught the flu just three days before my departure,” Dyrek said.
However, the trip helped Dyrek to find better health in his everyday life.
“My abdominal pain was actually caused by an adhesion that formed after I had a diaphragm and hernia repair. But because of the rigors of the trip, the adhesion broke and I’m now feeling much better and I am now, almost, not disabled,” Dyrek said.
“I have been disabled for a total of 25 years, and, at this point, my life has been changed for the better because of the expedition.”
Dyrek hopes to inspire other people, physically challenged or not, to follow their dreams.
“If someone thinks that a goal is impossible, they are on the wrong road to success. If a poor, broken-down, 48-year-old man like me can go to the North Pole, you can too. If you want it to be, you have to apply the effort, and then you can stand on top of the world.”
“The idea of standing on the very top of the world and having the entire earth spinning below you at this one certain spot creates a feeling that you will never forget. Every direction you look is south. Walking in a small circle enables a person to step into every longitudinal section of the planet within a few seconds. Standing on top of the world is a truly different experience,” Dyrek said.
While Dyrek enjoyed visiting the North Pole, it wasn’t an entirely pleasant experience.
“I was in a lot of pain. I just never felt good because of the problems in my abdomen and the fact that I caught the flu just three days before my departure,” Dyrek said.
However, the trip helped Dyrek to find better health in his everyday life.
“My abdominal pain was actually caused by an adhesion that formed after I had a diaphragm and hernia repair. But because of the rigors of the trip, the adhesion broke and I’m now feeling much better and I am now, almost, not disabled,” Dyrek said.
“I have been disabled for a total of 25 years, and, at this point, my life has been changed for the better because of the expedition.”
Dyrek hopes to inspire other people, physically challenged or not, to follow their dreams.
“If someone thinks that a goal is impossible, they are on the wrong road to success. If a poor, broken-down, 48-year-old man like me can go to the North Pole, you can too. If you want it to be, you have to apply the effort, and then you can stand on top of the world.”
