Nico Pierik
- We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator (movie).
- I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean (singer-songwriter).
- Pain is a gift. Without the capacity for pain, we can’t feel the hurt we inflict. The 12th Doctor, Doctor Who (TV show).
- De onzin van het leven, mag er ook zijn, Loesje (in Dutch).
- Bos gezocht, voor alle beren op de weg, Loesje (in Dutch).
Meet up and PLAY was started by Nico Pierik: a self-thaught play experience designer (designing game systems for turn-based real world games). Nico has a lot of experience with various sports, including soccer, speed skating, canoe polo, kenpo karate and frisbee golf (also known as disc golf). At the age of 25, after an illness at the end of his studies Nico was partially paralysed. Fortunately there was hope of recovery, and after ten years of effort and perseverance he regained mobility. This has given him experience with both the mental and physical sides of a long-term recovery, which means Nico knows that a low threshold is very important for athletes to be able to start a sport. This is why Chopdisc is easy to learn but a challenge to master.