1. 82 Leaders Magazine II/2015 Leaders Magazine II/2015 83
ambassadors without diplomatic passport
Zdeněk Bakala’s Scholar
Patrik Procházka
The Rotary International Club of Prague is serving as
a benefactor to Patrik’s life journey.A fundraising effort
is underway to help support this young man’s fees for
college and ongoing medical therapies. He attended
Prague’s prestigious Open Gate grammar school
on a scholarship and now attends Lynn University
in Boca Raton, Florida on a partial scholarship.
Despite undergoing periodic operations which require
significant time out of the classroom, Patrik remains
at the top of his class. In the midst of all this, Patrik is
determined to change people’s attitudes toward those
with disabilities, both at home in the Czech Republic
and around the world. He speaks regularly to help
others recognize the gifts and incredible potential of all
people,regardlessoftheirphysicalandmentalabilities.
“I won partial academic scholarship to study in
the United States, being selected from around 250
people. Since then, thanks to Bakala Foundation
which has inspired me with unlimited choices and
has also supported me the most during my bachelor’s
studies, I have had a strong base to turn the impossible
into possible.“
How do you perceive today’s world?
Today’s world is truly amazing and with all my
gratefulness I love to live in it.There is ultimate freedom and
suchanawesomediversityaroundustogetherwitha strong
connection.Worldisslowlygoingforwardtowardsdiversities
as well as dreamers who believe one can achieve simply
anything. I feel that in today’s world capability of achieving
anything we can think of tends to be more realistic to
people than in the past.From my perspective,people have
unlimited options which are often well deserved by various
obstacles.They can do exactly what they feel they want to
from the bottom of their heart.They are braver and stronger,
being aware of their own uniqueness. I personally was
considered disabled as, due to serious illness after born,
I was unable to walk. Considering to be severely limited
along with living in a negatively bound environment where
everything was impossible without discussions, I had two
options, be or not to be. I decided to keep my inner self
and most importantly my dreams - to get maybe even
furtherthanthosetellingmethatI amlimited,disabled,or
even useless or crippled.This dream has had even more
powerful fuel behind it - to help others not to struggle as
I hadtostruggleandunderstandtheawesomenessoflife
regardlessitsconditions.I feelthatpeoplehavemanaged
to learn that we all are interconnected and can help each
other to overcome obstacles.
I don’t believe in the existence of false hope, I am
convinced that people are able to achieve anything in life
if they keep being grateful for the obstacles and believe
in their dreams. If someone feels disapproval, it’s like:
“Don’t believe me,just watch!”
How do you perceive the position of the Czech
Republic?
The Czech Republic has still had a long way to learn to
understand that we all are more alike than different,that
obstaclesareherenottostopusbuttohelpustodeserve
what we dream of and that instead of jealousy there is
something called support and inspiration. From my own
experience, the majority of Czechs still perceive success
as something what is not right as well as something they
will never have.Why than would they be successful if they
do not believe they will? Nevertheless, people tend to
lack understanding of what is behind the success, the
long journey full of obstacles.They feel jealous for other
people’s success. Combination of success and disability
is than even more harmful to these people. Harmful
insteadofinspirational.I rememberonmyjourneytolearn
towalkI hadtospenta lotoftimeina hospital.Insteadof
support I often had to face jealousy.People were jealous
thatI canrestina hospital,notconsideringtheenormous
pain I was going through.They did not even consider that
I would switch with them without hesitation. However, at
one point I have to agree with them. I personally believe
people are just lucky to break their leg for example. It is
simply because anything what gets into our lives with no
chance to turn it over is an awesome experience and we
havetomakethebestofit.Everythingseeminglynegative
is an obstacle, a tool to really deserve what we wish for
and we need to be grateful for it.
How does it happen that a boy originally from the
town of Banska Bystrica determined to stick to his
dreams ends up studying in the United States and
walking instead being on wheelchair?
In the whole world there is nothing we would not
be able to achieve if we have courage enough to fight
relentlessly all obstacles towards our dreams. Facing of
being considered abnormally crazy for this sentence,
Photo: Oliver Beaujard
TO BE CONTINUED WITH OTHER AMBASSADORS WITHOUT DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT
I had to learn not to care of what people think. I have
always been grateful for everything in my life, having it
clear that the physical change of being unable to walk
did not make me disabled, but unique.As I was able to
identify my goals and priorities, I won the scholarship to
study in the United States, being selected from around
250 people.Since then,I have had a strong base to turn
the impossible into possible. I disregard the limits and
take risks, while being in love with my limitless choices
and intuition.
The sentence I first said when I was 12, has naturally
transformed into a shorter and sharper abbreviation -
stick with your dreams,unconditionally!
www.stickwithyourdreams.com
You are known for the optimist attitude but this is
not a common trait characteristics for many Czechs.
Were you born with it or did you learn it?
Even as a small child I learned that crying over
a spilled milk doesn’t help me at all. I have learned that
smile, on the other hand, is powerful and capable of
changing sadness into happiness. When I fall and cry,
it makes other people sad, whereas if I fall and laugh,
it eliminates negative feelings and also change the way
people perceive the situation.
The reason why you left to study psychology and
business to the US was your ultimate goal to establish
a foundation to help other people with different
physical abilities to reach their dreams and potential.
How far you in establishing such an institution?
Thanks to having an awesome chance to grow
academically, physically as well as personally I was able
tounderstandsomethingimmeasurablyimportant. Ifthe
disability is considered according to needs, then, we all
are disabled in some ways. We all have specific needs.
We need food – somebody farms it for us.We need clean
water – somebody cleans it for us. We need a place to
live – somebody builds it for us or at least provides us
with necessary materials. We need a job – somebody
creates it for us. Or – we do this for somebody else.
We all are different in having different needs as well as
opportunities to fulfill needs of others – as much as we
are the same – we all need help and are able to help.To
be concrete,we all are disabled of doing something and
we all need help of others, on the other hand, we all are
able to do something and we all can help others.This is
essential for helping people to reach their full potential
regardless of physical conditions.
I am currently working on establishing my own
consulting company focused on unlimited choices and
the ways to help people to find them.I also feel the need
to make a change in healthcare division and instead
of supporting big factories for health I wish to create
somethingdifferent,basedonbiopsychosocialapproach
and ultimate care, small, individualistic and awesome,
helping people in various conditions not to give up
their dreams. This is coming along with the foundation,
because finances should be the least obstacle in what
we need to live life to the fullest. My aim is to provide
unlimited support when it comes to health.
I know that there were many individuals as well
as numerous institutions that provided help and
assistance on your journey. Can you mention
those who supported you the most and how?
What other kinds of support would you need? And
how do you perceive the NGO sector in the Czech
Republic in general?
I have been awarded a very unique bright green light
from Bakala Foundation.This gave me confidence, firm
base and power to always go my own way.I am extremely
grateful for this connection full of common inspiration,
wise advising and ultimate understanding. I have also
been very strongly connected with The Kellners Family
Foundation, Our Child Foundation, Deloitte, Kraft Foods,
Konto Bariéry, Výbor dobré vůle foundation and Rotary
Club Prague International,while steadily supporting each
other.Thewholelifeisabouta connectionandthatiswhat
I need the most, to be able to reach to those who need
me.NGOs in the Czech Republic as well as many Czechs
still hardly perceive my perspective of unlimited choices,
which however results from gratefulness (from what we
have achieved), belief (in what we wish to achieve) and
happiness (over every obstacle we are lucky enough to
be getting across by hard work to deserve what we wish
to achieve).
Your final words to Leaders Magazine readers…
Ultimate happiness does not depend on external
conditions.Please be happy for everything and stick with
yourdreamsunconditionally.Ifyoucan,pleasespreadmy
words in order to help to make the impossible possible.
Final note from the author…
Even though this young man still needs a lot of
support, when he was asked what kind of support he
needed, he did not mention the financial one first. He
said that „the whole life is about connections and that is
what I need the most, to be able to reach to those who
need to get to know me“.
Please,reachPatrikatstickwithyourdreams@gmail.com.
Thoseofyouinterestedinfinancialassistance,please
visitRotaryClubPragueInternationalwebsiteandunder
the title project Patrik you have the details how to make
a donation or contact Linda Štucbartová, the author of
the interview.
By Linda Štucbartová ■
The story of Patrik reads like a fairy tale. But rather
than fairy tale, it is a story of never giving up, falling
and trying to walk (even literally) and sticking to your
dreams. The story of Patrik combines my favorite
themes of leadership, diversity, education and non-
profit organizations. The article is written not only
to help him but also to mention all those involved
that made his journey possible. In today´s world,
people often think that they cannot change much.
Patrik and his story serves as an example that if more
individuals and institutions cooperate, the outcome
and the overall impact can be truly enormous. Meet
an extraordinary young man, who was born with
cerebral palsy and lived most of his life requiring
the aid of a wheelchair. However, despite the doubts
of medical staff, Patrik is now able to walk. This is
largely due to Patrik’s incredibly positive attitude.
He lives by the motto “Nothing is unattainable - if we
do not give up our efforts to attain it.” and serves as
a testament to the will of the human spirit.
Linda Štucbartovágraduated from the Institute of International Territorial
Studies.After a one year scholarship at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and
Jewish Studies, she obtained a Diplome d’études supérieures from the
Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. Between the years
2002and2006,sheworkedinseniorpositionsattheDiplomaticAcademy
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2006 she has functioned in the
private sphere, and lectures at the Anglo-American University, where she
was named the Chair of the Department of Diplomacy. In addition to
training in negotiation and communication of clients from the private,
public and non-profit sector, she regularly collaborates with NGOs in the
projects of the International Global Young Leaders Conference and the
Women and Leadership Programme. Linda Štucbartová is a member of the Rotary Club Prague
International. She currently works for Atairu. Articles are extracts from her book Velvyslanci i bez
diplomatického pasu (Eng.“Ambassadors without a Diplomatic Passport”).
Photo:Archive
2. 82 Leaders Magazine II/2015 Leaders Magazine II/2015 83
ambassadors without diplomatic passport
Zdeněk Bakala’s Scholar
Patrik Procházka
The Rotary International Club of Prague is serving as
a benefactor to Patrik’s life journey.A fundraising effort
is underway to help support this young man’s fees for
college and ongoing medical therapies. He attended
Prague’s prestigious Open Gate grammar school
on a scholarship and now attends Lynn University
in Boca Raton, Florida on a partial scholarship.
Despite undergoing periodic operations which require
significant time out of the classroom, Patrik remains
at the top of his class. In the midst of all this, Patrik is
determined to change people’s attitudes toward those
with disabilities, both at home in the Czech Republic
and around the world. He speaks regularly to help
others recognize the gifts and incredible potential of all
people,regardlessoftheirphysicalandmentalabilities.
“I won partial academic scholarship to study in
the United States, being selected from around 250
people. Since then, thanks to Bakala Foundation
which has inspired me with unlimited choices and
has also supported me the most during my bachelor’s
studies, I have had a strong base to turn the impossible
into possible.“
How do you perceive today’s world?
Today’s world is truly amazing and with all my
gratefulness I love to live in it.There is ultimate freedom and
suchanawesomediversityaroundustogetherwitha strong
connection.Worldisslowlygoingforwardtowardsdiversities
as well as dreamers who believe one can achieve simply
anything. I feel that in today’s world capability of achieving
anything we can think of tends to be more realistic to
people than in the past.From my perspective,people have
unlimited options which are often well deserved by various
obstacles.They can do exactly what they feel they want to
from the bottom of their heart.They are braver and stronger,
being aware of their own uniqueness. I personally was
considered disabled as, due to serious illness after born,
I was unable to walk. Considering to be severely limited
along with living in a negatively bound environment where
everything was impossible without discussions, I had two
options, be or not to be. I decided to keep my inner self
and most importantly my dreams - to get maybe even
furtherthanthosetellingmethatI amlimited,disabled,or
even useless or crippled.This dream has had even more
powerful fuel behind it - to help others not to struggle as
I hadtostruggleandunderstandtheawesomenessoflife
regardlessitsconditions.I feelthatpeoplehavemanaged
to learn that we all are interconnected and can help each
other to overcome obstacles.
I don’t believe in the existence of false hope, I am
convinced that people are able to achieve anything in life
if they keep being grateful for the obstacles and believe
in their dreams. If someone feels disapproval, it’s like:
“Don’t believe me,just watch!”
How do you perceive the position of the Czech
Republic?
The Czech Republic has still had a long way to learn to
understand that we all are more alike than different,that
obstaclesareherenottostopusbuttohelpustodeserve
what we dream of and that instead of jealousy there is
something called support and inspiration. From my own
experience, the majority of Czechs still perceive success
as something what is not right as well as something they
will never have.Why than would they be successful if they
do not believe they will? Nevertheless, people tend to
lack understanding of what is behind the success, the
long journey full of obstacles.They feel jealous for other
people’s success. Combination of success and disability
is than even more harmful to these people. Harmful
insteadofinspirational.I rememberonmyjourneytolearn
towalkI hadtospenta lotoftimeina hospital.Insteadof
support I often had to face jealousy.People were jealous
thatI canrestina hospital,notconsideringtheenormous
pain I was going through.They did not even consider that
I would switch with them without hesitation. However, at
one point I have to agree with them. I personally believe
people are just lucky to break their leg for example. It is
simply because anything what gets into our lives with no
chance to turn it over is an awesome experience and we
havetomakethebestofit.Everythingseeminglynegative
is an obstacle, a tool to really deserve what we wish for
and we need to be grateful for it.
How does it happen that a boy originally from the
town of Banska Bystrica determined to stick to his
dreams ends up studying in the United States and
walking instead being on wheelchair?
In the whole world there is nothing we would not
be able to achieve if we have courage enough to fight
relentlessly all obstacles towards our dreams. Facing of
being considered abnormally crazy for this sentence,
Photo: Oliver Beaujard
TO BE CONTINUED WITH OTHER AMBASSADORS WITHOUT DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT
I had to learn not to care of what people think. I have
always been grateful for everything in my life, having it
clear that the physical change of being unable to walk
did not make me disabled, but unique.As I was able to
identify my goals and priorities, I won the scholarship to
study in the United States, being selected from around
250 people.Since then,I have had a strong base to turn
the impossible into possible. I disregard the limits and
take risks, while being in love with my limitless choices
and intuition.
The sentence I first said when I was 12, has naturally
transformed into a shorter and sharper abbreviation -
stick with your dreams,unconditionally!
www.stickwithyourdreams.com
You are known for the optimist attitude but this is
not a common trait characteristics for many Czechs.
Were you born with it or did you learn it?
Even as a small child I learned that crying over
a spilled milk doesn’t help me at all. I have learned that
smile, on the other hand, is powerful and capable of
changing sadness into happiness. When I fall and cry,
it makes other people sad, whereas if I fall and laugh,
it eliminates negative feelings and also change the way
people perceive the situation.
The reason why you left to study psychology and
business to the US was your ultimate goal to establish
a foundation to help other people with different
physical abilities to reach their dreams and potential.
How far you in establishing such an institution?
Thanks to having an awesome chance to grow
academically, physically as well as personally I was able
tounderstandsomethingimmeasurablyimportant. Ifthe
disability is considered according to needs, then, we all
are disabled in some ways. We all have specific needs.
We need food – somebody farms it for us.We need clean
water – somebody cleans it for us. We need a place to
live – somebody builds it for us or at least provides us
with necessary materials. We need a job – somebody
creates it for us. Or – we do this for somebody else.
We all are different in having different needs as well as
opportunities to fulfill needs of others – as much as we
are the same – we all need help and are able to help.To
be concrete,we all are disabled of doing something and
we all need help of others, on the other hand, we all are
able to do something and we all can help others.This is
essential for helping people to reach their full potential
regardless of physical conditions.
I am currently working on establishing my own
consulting company focused on unlimited choices and
the ways to help people to find them.I also feel the need
to make a change in healthcare division and instead
of supporting big factories for health I wish to create
somethingdifferent,basedonbiopsychosocialapproach
and ultimate care, small, individualistic and awesome,
helping people in various conditions not to give up
their dreams. This is coming along with the foundation,
because finances should be the least obstacle in what
we need to live life to the fullest. My aim is to provide
unlimited support when it comes to health.
I know that there were many individuals as well
as numerous institutions that provided help and
assistance on your journey. Can you mention
those who supported you the most and how?
What other kinds of support would you need? And
how do you perceive the NGO sector in the Czech
Republic in general?
I have been awarded a very unique bright green light
from Bakala Foundation.This gave me confidence, firm
base and power to always go my own way.I am extremely
grateful for this connection full of common inspiration,
wise advising and ultimate understanding. I have also
been very strongly connected with The Kellners Family
Foundation, Our Child Foundation, Deloitte, Kraft Foods,
Konto Bariéry, Výbor dobré vůle foundation and Rotary
Club Prague International,while steadily supporting each
other.Thewholelifeisabouta connectionandthatiswhat
I need the most, to be able to reach to those who need
me.NGOs in the Czech Republic as well as many Czechs
still hardly perceive my perspective of unlimited choices,
which however results from gratefulness (from what we
have achieved), belief (in what we wish to achieve) and
happiness (over every obstacle we are lucky enough to
be getting across by hard work to deserve what we wish
to achieve).
Your final words to Leaders Magazine readers…
Ultimate happiness does not depend on external
conditions.Please be happy for everything and stick with
yourdreamsunconditionally.Ifyoucan,pleasespreadmy
words in order to help to make the impossible possible.
Final note from the author…
Even though this young man still needs a lot of
support, when he was asked what kind of support he
needed, he did not mention the financial one first. He
said that „the whole life is about connections and that is
what I need the most, to be able to reach to those who
need to get to know me“.
Please,reachPatrikatstickwithyourdreams@gmail.com.
Thoseofyouinterestedinfinancialassistance,please
visitRotaryClubPragueInternationalwebsiteandunder
the title project Patrik you have the details how to make
a donation or contact Linda Štucbartová, the author of
the interview.
By Linda Štucbartová ■
The story of Patrik reads like a fairy tale. But rather
than fairy tale, it is a story of never giving up, falling
and trying to walk (even literally) and sticking to your
dreams. The story of Patrik combines my favorite
themes of leadership, diversity, education and non-
profit organizations. The article is written not only
to help him but also to mention all those involved
that made his journey possible. In today´s world,
people often think that they cannot change much.
Patrik and his story serves as an example that if more
individuals and institutions cooperate, the outcome
and the overall impact can be truly enormous. Meet
an extraordinary young man, who was born with
cerebral palsy and lived most of his life requiring
the aid of a wheelchair. However, despite the doubts
of medical staff, Patrik is now able to walk. This is
largely due to Patrik’s incredibly positive attitude.
He lives by the motto “Nothing is unattainable - if we
do not give up our efforts to attain it.” and serves as
a testament to the will of the human spirit.
Linda Štucbartovágraduated from the Institute of International Territorial
Studies.After a one year scholarship at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and
Jewish Studies, she obtained a Diplome d’études supérieures from the
Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. Between the years
2002and2006,sheworkedinseniorpositionsattheDiplomaticAcademy
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2006 she has functioned in the
private sphere, and lectures at the Anglo-American University, where she
was named the Chair of the Department of Diplomacy. In addition to
training in negotiation and communication of clients from the private,
public and non-profit sector, she regularly collaborates with NGOs in the
projects of the International Global Young Leaders Conference and the
Women and Leadership Programme. Linda Štucbartová is a member of the Rotary Club Prague
International. She currently works for Atairu. Articles are extracts from her book Velvyslanci i bez
diplomatického pasu (Eng.“Ambassadors without a Diplomatic Passport”).
Photo:Archive