Tomáš Pik (34) is from Prague in the Czech Republic. He was diagnosed with Friedreich ataxia (FA) at the age of 14, and has been using a wheelchair since he was 20.
Instead of allowing his condition to limit him, Tomáš decided to use his experiences to help others in similar situations. He is an active member of the patient organization Frieda in the Czech Republic, which he helped to establish. He is also an ambassador for the international organization FARA.
He is a prominent figure in promoting the sexuality of people with disabilities and helped to establish a sexual assistance service in the Czech Republic. In the documentary film “Love Me If You Can,” he appears as one of the protagonists and openly talks about his experiences. In 2016, this film won the audience award at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival.
He has extensive experience in the arts, has run a business, founded the “Zátiší” Gallery in Prague, and worked there as a curator. He has been an art manager for several painters and artistic projects (Red Blue Dimension, Become a Painter, …).
Despite the physical limitations imposed by his condition, he actively travels and shares his experiences with others. For example, he has participated in trips around Europe, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and others. Currently, he combines traveling with visiting FA patients, having been to the USA for CureFA Soirée and Austria, and he plans to visit Brazil, where there is a large FA community.
Besides art and travel, his great interests include politics, philosophy and cryptocurrency. He lives alone in a barrier-free apartment, and it is very important for him to remain as independent and active as possible for as long as possible.