Nico Calabria was born without a right leg or right hip. However, his parents, Jeanine and Carl, liked to look on the bright side. Instead, they would describe him as having been born with a left leg. He would sometimes feel bad about his condition, but his parents would not allow him limit himself because of what he did not have. As such, he knew from a young age that he wanted to be an athlete, and he felt free to pursue that dream.
He was a wrestler in high school, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro at the stunningly young age of 13 (raising $100,000 for charity in the process), and learned gymnastics. However, his true love was soccer, which he started playing at age 5. He played varsity soccer in high school, and one of his goals even went viral on video.
Powerade wanted Nico as the star of a new commercial, to exemplify the message behind their Power Through campaign. The commercial ended up airing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and contained all sorts of footage of home videos from Nico’s childhood. It is truly inspirational and shows just how amazing this boy is; he was able to accomplish so much despite the limitations with which he was born.
Even though he will never play in the FIFA World Cup as was his dream as a child, he did represent the US at the Amputee Football World Cup. He is a true inspiration to anyone who is struggling.