This Mt Airy Electrician Brings Joy to Those with Disabilities through Power of Sport

For more than two decades, John Siemiarowski has dedicated his time and talents to ensuring individuals with disabilities can experience the thrill and joy of sports. As a volunteer with the Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports, he has helped countless people enjoy cycling in ways they never thought possible.

“I’ve come to realize that my job is to make the world a better place,” Siemiarowski says. “There’s nothing in the world better than having somebody else experience the kind of joy I do.”

A Lifelong Partnership in Cycling

Doug McCullough, an author and TEDx speaker who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, has relied on Siemiarowski’s innovative adaptations to enjoy cycling for the past 20 years. McCullough, who faces daily mobility challenges, recalls how Siemiarowski’s custom-built tandem bike transformed his life.

“On John’s special tandem bike,” McCullough says, “it’s almost like sitting in your recliner.”

He explains how Siemiarowski adapted the bike so that McCullough could get on and ride despite some of his physical limitations.

“When we put him on the back of my tandem,” Siemiarowski explains, “we would take the back seat off the bike, roll the bike between his legs, put the seat back on, and then we’d secure his feet with bungee cords on special pedals. He didn’t contribute much, but he enjoyed it a lot, and that’s all that mattered.”

For Siemiarowski, enabling McCullough to experience the freedom of cycling is a mission close to his heart. “The feeling of riding on a bicycle is liberating,” says Siemiarowski. “Someone once described it as being as close to flying as you can get without leaving the ground.”

When the pair met, Siemiarowski was a volunteer and McCullough was a participant. These days, the two are friends.
“You ride together for a lot of good rides — like an hour or so,” says McCullough, “so you really get to have fun and interesting conversations.”

Siemiarowski’s passion for adaptive sports doesn’t stop at cycling. As a volunteer with the Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports, he also volunteers as an adaptive ski instructor.

“What’s interesting is before this, I really didn’t know anybody that was not fully able,” says Siemiarowski, “now, a lot of my friends are people who are either in wheelchairs due to traumatic brain injuries or strokes or cerebral palsy and they’re wonderful people.”

Dedication to Adaptive Sports

Leah Wright, nominated Siemiarowski for the Good Souls Project. She says she is in awe of her father’s decades-long commitment to adaptive sports.

“My dad’s two favorite sports are skiing and cycling,” Wright says, “and he doesn’t think it’s fair that people don’t get to experience that just because of physical or mental limitations.”

Wright, a science teacher in Philadelphia, says his dedication to service has deeply influenced her own life.

“He’s constantly giving back to the communities he lives and works with,” she says. “Having parents who believe in the community and the importance of making it better really shaped who I am.”

At 70 years old, Siemiarowski continues to be a force of inspiration, finding innovative ways to ensure people with disabilities can participate in sports and recreation.

“He genuinely cares about other people and wants to make them happy,” Wright says. “That’s why I think he’s a good soul.”

Transforming Lives Through Creative Solutions

According to the Centers for Disease Control…More than 40 percent of people with disabilities are obese and physical activity among disabled youth is, many times, four times lower than their non-disabled peers.

Siemiarowski’s ability to solve problems has been a key element of his work in adaptive sports and has opened the door for many differently abled people to get out, exercise and explore the world. He helped organize a group of adaptive athletes who took part in the MS City to Shore ride.

“For someone like me, there’s no way I could do 75 miles, but I can do maybe one leg of the race,” explains McCullough, “so you can imagine just the logistics of having a group of disabled athletes — shuttling them on and off a bike and getting them to the next stop and vice versa.”

Whether he’s customizing bikes or organizing group rides, Siemiarowski enjoys the logistical challenges that come with adaptive sports.

“I am a person who enjoys solving problems,” he says, “and I get so much more out of this than what I put in.”

As a professional electrician, Siemiarowski has brought his technical expertise to his volunteer work, often creating one-of-a-kind solutions for those who need special adaptations. As the owner of Electrical Wizardry in Glenside, Pennsylvania, he has donated his services to various community events, always looking for ways to make a difference.

Sharing His Passion with the Community

McCullough, who is recovering from a broken femur, says that Siemiarowski’s involvement in adaptive sports has been life-changing. “Having a program like this and a great volunteer like John, it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s been a big part of staying healthy and active over the years,” McCullough says.

McCullough agrees, saying Siemiarowski has made the world a brighter place for him. “He’s made so many opportunities for me to enjoy life,” McCullough says.

McCullough has used his recovery time to write a new book, “A Billion People in the Shadows,” where he explains in clear terms what disability inclusion looks like. He says it’s something PCAS and John has already mastered and hopes once his leg heals, that he and John will be back on the road.

As McCullough puts it, “John is 100% a good soul. Well, maybe 90%—nobody’s perfect—but absolutely, he’s made a huge difference in my life.”

If you know someone who has performed an act of kindness, whether it be big or small and you think they serve as an example of compassion, generosity and service, nominate them here: whyy.org/goodsoulsform.