10/23/2025
Meet Occupational Therapist at Hickory Flat Fyzical - Thomas Pirinelli
"Back in the 1980s, I was a lifeguard on a U.S. Air Force base in chilly Niagara Falls, NY. Most mornings were too cold for swimmers, except for one guy, Bob Mazapa.
Bob was a former WWII fighter pilot from Eastern Europe, now an avid glider pilot who loved swimming. Because of mobility issues, swimming was his main exercise, but his legs had weakened so much that kicking didnโt move him forward.
Watching his frustration, I offered to help. Together, we worked on stretches and technique until we found something that worked: adapting his stroke to a trudgeon crawl (a freestyle with a side scissor kick). Suddenly, Bob was gliding through the water again, independent, strong, and smiling.
Another guard, a PT student, said, โYou just did occupational therapyโhelping someone adapt through meaningful activity.โ And thatโs when it hit me: Iโd found my calling.
A few weeks later, Bob thanked me by taking me gliding over Lake Ontario. Floating through the clouds that day, I knew...OT was where I was meant to be."
