Arek Mazur was born in 1962 in Gdańsk. His mother’s family comes from Pomerania and Arek’s father came to Tricity from south Poland. Music was really important at the Mazur’s house; Arek’s father played and sang in a choir, hence, Arek’s subsequent fascination with jazz. After completing primary school Arek Mazur began his education in one of the finest high schools in Gdańsk, in a class with extended curriculum in Biology and Chemistry. In high school Arek became interested in the UK, especially in its history and language. After his final exam he chose two majors: Pharmacology at the Medical University, which he abandoned, and Athletic Recover at the Sports Academy which he graduated receiving his MA title.
During his studies Arek Mazur came across a new specialty, Chiropractic, unknown in Poland at the time. He also started thinking about leaving Poland and going to London. When he arrived to the UK, due to a fortunate coincidence, he commenced work as an athletic performance physiologist at the British Olympic Medical Centre at Northwick Park Hospital in London. Soon he also commenced studying Chiropractic at Anglo-European College of Chiropractic. He graduated in 1993, becoming the Doctor of Chiropractic. During his studies he met his future wife, Sophie, of Dutch origin. Their children, Katarzyna and Jan, were born in the UK.
Mr and Mrs Mazur, while living in the UK, met the British elite, including the members of the Royal Family. Arek Mazur also came back to his hobby, jazz music. After thirty years in emigration the family decided to re-emigrate to Sopot, Poland. Here Arek Mazur, together with his wife Sophie, set up a private practice and became involved in establishing a new major: Chiropractic. Currently, Arek Mazur has his own practice in Sopot. He is one of six certified chiropractors in Poland.
Interviewed by Iwona Demska on 10th February 2016 in Sopot.
What is chiropractic?
And at that time, one of the lecturers mentioned the name „chiropractic”. I started being a bit interested in it. With no Internet, no books, it is kind of hard, yet when I searched here and there in different libraries, I suddenly realized that there were such opportunities, that you could be an independent specialist in the medical and health industry… However, not in Poland. Chiropractic is a first-contact profession, that deals with diseases, orthopedic and neurological ailments, caused by disorders in the joint and muscle system. So, any irritation, motor dysfunction may result in various types of disorders, various types of symptoms and ailments. And it turned out that this profession, this specialization is recognized worldwide and even in the majority of Europe, as early as those days, it was a very professional occupation, that had its reflection in the health service, and was considered a practical specialization. Then I thought that this was it what I was looking for, though I didn’t know exactly what it actually was, since such reading of a definition always looks different, but in my dreams, in my imagination, I thought - I guess this is something I would like to do… as something like this…if this is something I am thinking of. It appeared in the near future that it was even better than I had been thinking.
And at that time, one of the lecturers mentioned the name „chiropractic”. I started being a bit interested in it. With no Internet, no books, it is kind of hard, yet when I searched here and there in different libraries, I suddenly realized that there were such opportunities, that you could be an independent specialist in the medical and health industry… However, not in Poland. Chiropractic is a first-contact profession, that deals with diseases, orthopedic and neurological ailments, caused by disorders in the joint and muscle system. So, any irritation, motor dysfunction may result in various types of disorders, various types of symptoms and ailments. And it turned out that this profession, this specialization is recognized worldwide and even in the majority of Europe, as early as those days, it was a very professional occupation, that had its reflection in the health service, and was considered a practical specialization. Then I thought that this was it what I was looking for, though I didn’t know exactly what it actually was, since such reading of a definition always looks different, but in my dreams, in my imagination, I thought - I guess this is something I would like to do… as something like this…if this is something I am thinking of. It appeared in the near future that it was even better than I had been thinking.
Getting a passport
Invitation. At last it could have been organized from England through signing in to, so called, a language school. The language school required a security deposit. It could have been sent, what was time-consuming, due to the fact that all the issues had to be handled by post. There were no phone to call, no emails, no Internet. I mean you could have paid the security deposit and arranged some money in Poland. You had to have British pounds in order to send it. You had to buy these pounds somewhere, of course illegally. Fortunately, it was the deposit, it was small, e.g. GBP 20, yet still it was a lot of money those days. Yet, you made a promise that once arriving in the UK, you would pay the rest. However, you had to think differently, as no one could have sent one thousand pounds from Poland, as the times were a bit different. Once you were given an invitation, you could have applied for a passport. The passport was somehow strange and you needed to get all those stamps in order to receive the passport: from school, from some medical institutions, from army, from police, from militia. Finally, after receiving some additional stamps – not always legit – you were given the passport and „one way ticket”, I’d say. Of course, you had to buy the return, as it was not possible to get one way air ticket. My mum didn’t want me to go. She said that I should have gone to the army, as all the regular people did and… my dad, told me that if he had had such an opportunity when she was young, he wouldn’t have hesitated at all. So, this is the support I received, a huge support from this side.
Invitation. At last it could have been organized from England through signing in to, so called, a language school. The language school required a security deposit. It could have been sent, what was time-consuming, due to the fact that all the issues had to be handled by post. There were no phone to call, no emails, no Internet. I mean you could have paid the security deposit and arranged some money in Poland. You had to have British pounds in order to send it. You had to buy these pounds somewhere, of course illegally. Fortunately, it was the deposit, it was small, e.g. GBP 20, yet still it was a lot of money those days. Yet, you made a promise that once arriving in the UK, you would pay the rest. However, you had to think differently, as no one could have sent one thousand pounds from Poland, as the times were a bit different. Once you were given an invitation, you could have applied for a passport. The passport was somehow strange and you needed to get all those stamps in order to receive the passport: from school, from some medical institutions, from army, from police, from militia. Finally, after receiving some additional stamps – not always legit – you were given the passport and „one way ticket”, I’d say. Of course, you had to buy the return, as it was not possible to get one way air ticket. My mum didn’t want me to go. She said that I should have gone to the army, as all the regular people did and… my dad, told me that if he had had such an opportunity when she was young, he wouldn’t have hesitated at all. So, this is the support I received, a huge support from this side.
First impressions
I was delighted at the very start. Everything was different. Sidewalks, curbs, stairs – such details, that were, to say it mildly, worse. And people smiled, the thing I have been finding in a bit different way until today, yet they were smiling, the majority of them, of course, not everybody, but I liked such an attitude. They were pleasant and polite and it was a huge, huge contrast to me. It was at the beginning. Then, obviously, we all get used to things that are nice, but that very start was shocking, I must admit. And, for sure, it happened to everyone who had gone abroad those days, that cars stopped at the pedestrian crossing, that the streets were cleaner, lots of such details, no one had cared before.
I was delighted at the very start. Everything was different. Sidewalks, curbs, stairs – such details, that were, to say it mildly, worse. And people smiled, the thing I have been finding in a bit different way until today, yet they were smiling, the majority of them, of course, not everybody, but I liked such an attitude. They were pleasant and polite and it was a huge, huge contrast to me. It was at the beginning. Then, obviously, we all get used to things that are nice, but that very start was shocking, I must admit. And, for sure, it happened to everyone who had gone abroad those days, that cars stopped at the pedestrian crossing, that the streets were cleaner, lots of such details, no one had cared before.
Announcement in the London tube
When I was in the UK, on the second or third day, I was going on tube, since I had a daily ticket. I was travelling all around London, looking for my opportunities and I found a newspaper lying next to me. The way papers often lie. And when you’re bored with watching the stuff outside the window, these dark tunnels, or views when the tube was outdoor, I started reading this paper and there was a large announcement, that the British Center for Olympics Performance was having a vacancy for an exercise physiology specialist. It turned out that it was two stations away from my destination. So, as I was not particularly busy on that day, I thought: „I’ll go and see at least, maybe they’ll let me in, show a lab, as I am a bit familiar with it, so I’ll go.” A very nice gentleman, the boss, the Scot, he let me take a look at the lab and as he was showing me round different rooms, he explained me what these items were for, I said: “I know it. I, we did it this way, we did it that way”. Due to the fact that in the UK, there were neither exercise physiology specialists, nor such an education in general. There were absolutely no, so called, sports sciences. It meant that Poland was more advance at that time. After 40 minutes of presenting, he asked me if I wanted to work here. It took me like half a second to say yes and he told me… I said that, of course, I couldn’t work, since those days it was not allowed to work in the UK, because of the work permit issue. Yet, he said that I could work as a volunteer and they would be paying me in cash - for my travelling expenses and accommodation costs. And that’s how it actually started off. I was very lucky, but I always thought that you had to be prepare a little for the luck that might come, to appreciate it. And then, I spent less than a year there, I guess. Three specialists: one was Greek, one was Scottish and I was the third one. We ran all British teams, Olympic teams, in terms of performance, endurance performance. It means that there was no British, no English in our staff, no one. And actually it was the British Center for Olympics Performance . Such a nice experience.
When I was in the UK, on the second or third day, I was going on tube, since I had a daily ticket. I was travelling all around London, looking for my opportunities and I found a newspaper lying next to me. The way papers often lie. And when you’re bored with watching the stuff outside the window, these dark tunnels, or views when the tube was outdoor, I started reading this paper and there was a large announcement, that the British Center for Olympics Performance was having a vacancy for an exercise physiology specialist. It turned out that it was two stations away from my destination. So, as I was not particularly busy on that day, I thought: „I’ll go and see at least, maybe they’ll let me in, show a lab, as I am a bit familiar with it, so I’ll go.” A very nice gentleman, the boss, the Scot, he let me take a look at the lab and as he was showing me round different rooms, he explained me what these items were for, I said: “I know it. I, we did it this way, we did it that way”. Due to the fact that in the UK, there were neither exercise physiology specialists, nor such an education in general. There were absolutely no, so called, sports sciences. It meant that Poland was more advance at that time. After 40 minutes of presenting, he asked me if I wanted to work here. It took me like half a second to say yes and he told me… I said that, of course, I couldn’t work, since those days it was not allowed to work in the UK, because of the work permit issue. Yet, he said that I could work as a volunteer and they would be paying me in cash - for my travelling expenses and accommodation costs. And that’s how it actually started off. I was very lucky, but I always thought that you had to be prepare a little for the luck that might come, to appreciate it. And then, I spent less than a year there, I guess. Three specialists: one was Greek, one was Scottish and I was the third one. We ran all British teams, Olympic teams, in terms of performance, endurance performance. It means that there was no British, no English in our staff, no one. And actually it was the British Center for Olympics Performance . Such a nice experience.
Scholarship
I met lots of very interesting individuals and managed to get into various environments. I found a school, I went to this school, had an interview. And I also received a confirmation from this Center and a support from the Minister. The school accepted me for the college course and I all had been cool until the moment I started studying, as it turned out that I the fee was 5000 pounds. Those days it was huge money to be paid annually. I had to refuse, because I didn’t have such cash. Yet, due to all my recommendations, the dean of the faculty contacted me after a week, telling me that this was the first time and they hadn’t done it yet, but as I was from Poland and had such strong recommendations, they offered me a scholarship, yes, the scholarship. It appeared that I would be receiving the scholarship and could have studied there.
I met lots of very interesting individuals and managed to get into various environments. I found a school, I went to this school, had an interview. And I also received a confirmation from this Center and a support from the Minister. The school accepted me for the college course and I all had been cool until the moment I started studying, as it turned out that I the fee was 5000 pounds. Those days it was huge money to be paid annually. I had to refuse, because I didn’t have such cash. Yet, due to all my recommendations, the dean of the faculty contacted me after a week, telling me that this was the first time and they hadn’t done it yet, but as I was from Poland and had such strong recommendations, they offered me a scholarship, yes, the scholarship. It appeared that I would be receiving the scholarship and could have studied there.
Studying in English
In that period, i.e. in the 80s, perhaps today is the same – it was a great shock, everything was completely different. Everyone respected you – it was very bizarre to me – academic teachers and students. There were students from all over the world. After each term we provided an evaluation of our academic teachers. If someone was not liked, he lost his job. The assessment was made by the students, and it happens today, too, but those days it was absolutely unbelievable. All handouts. The only disadvantage was that all of them were in English. Even when I thought I understood English a little, it turned out that intensive studying in the UK, in English, was slightly different - it added spice to this, you know what I mean? As I didn’t always understand everything, I mean I often u didn’t understand lots a of things and there was no time to repeat. Yet, it was like throwing you in at the deep with all that stuff. Once you survived, you felt it was cool what had happened.
In that period, i.e. in the 80s, perhaps today is the same – it was a great shock, everything was completely different. Everyone respected you – it was very bizarre to me – academic teachers and students. There were students from all over the world. After each term we provided an evaluation of our academic teachers. If someone was not liked, he lost his job. The assessment was made by the students, and it happens today, too, but those days it was absolutely unbelievable. All handouts. The only disadvantage was that all of them were in English. Even when I thought I understood English a little, it turned out that intensive studying in the UK, in English, was slightly different - it added spice to this, you know what I mean? As I didn’t always understand everything, I mean I often u didn’t understand lots a of things and there was no time to repeat. Yet, it was like throwing you in at the deep with all that stuff. Once you survived, you felt it was cool what had happened.
Without Polish reference point
I had no relations with Poles for first six years of my stay in the UK, I guess. Nothing, since these were leftovers of that old emigration, let’s say. It was a nice experience. It would have gone differently, if there had been more Poles, I think. You can create yourself a bit of, maybe not a different personality, but you can adjust to all these international students in an interesting manner, with no Poles, who estimate you somehow from the Polish point of view. It was such a comfortable situation. I mean not comfortable, when it comes to the language, as at the start, it was very intensive, the curriculum was very intensive and it was not easy, particularly the first year. That’s a fact, it was not easy. There were tutors of various command, maybe not of a various command, but a various English accent, that didn’t sound English at all, at my level of language acceptance. I mean such things and this intensity was huge. And we had many classes. However, when it comes to… it may sound strangely, but I consider it an advantage that there were no Poles but me.
I had no relations with Poles for first six years of my stay in the UK, I guess. Nothing, since these were leftovers of that old emigration, let’s say. It was a nice experience. It would have gone differently, if there had been more Poles, I think. You can create yourself a bit of, maybe not a different personality, but you can adjust to all these international students in an interesting manner, with no Poles, who estimate you somehow from the Polish point of view. It was such a comfortable situation. I mean not comfortable, when it comes to the language, as at the start, it was very intensive, the curriculum was very intensive and it was not easy, particularly the first year. That’s a fact, it was not easy. There were tutors of various command, maybe not of a various command, but a various English accent, that didn’t sound English at all, at my level of language acceptance. I mean such things and this intensity was huge. And we had many classes. However, when it comes to… it may sound strangely, but I consider it an advantage that there were no Poles but me.
Social life in London
We were living in a very good district of London, OK, I mean everything was great. We had an excellent access to, this social life was very rich. We had plenty of fiends from various societies, from the royal family, you know, to upper-class. Of course, I met princess Ann at the time I was working for the British Olympic Medical Centre, and then Diana, princess Diana, you know. And, due to the fact that we were members of the polo club, William and Harry were visiting it. I mean, it looked pretty, pretty… It’s not that we knew them, we met them, OK? It’s not that we knew them, but… It was not typical in this part of London, as for these circles. It happened by accident, yet we moved in there, and we had such friends and this was the place we resided in. It was not the fact that such average individuals like us, suddenly turned into intelligent and powerful, but simply it was a matter of an accident, an accident, that we appeared over there. Our clinics, as all within this specialization, were very, very busy, and lots of things happened. We became experts, providing services to all private insurance companies and we started treating it more like a hobby.
We were living in a very good district of London, OK, I mean everything was great. We had an excellent access to, this social life was very rich. We had plenty of fiends from various societies, from the royal family, you know, to upper-class. Of course, I met princess Ann at the time I was working for the British Olympic Medical Centre, and then Diana, princess Diana, you know. And, due to the fact that we were members of the polo club, William and Harry were visiting it. I mean, it looked pretty, pretty… It’s not that we knew them, we met them, OK? It’s not that we knew them, but… It was not typical in this part of London, as for these circles. It happened by accident, yet we moved in there, and we had such friends and this was the place we resided in. It was not the fact that such average individuals like us, suddenly turned into intelligent and powerful, but simply it was a matter of an accident, an accident, that we appeared over there. Our clinics, as all within this specialization, were very, very busy, and lots of things happened. We became experts, providing services to all private insurance companies and we started treating it more like a hobby.
The goal of return
At the beginning I treated is as a phase in my life. When I was given, like the dean of the faculty granted me the scholarship, then one of the reasons he did that was that I was the first guy from Central and Eastern Europe, who studied there and he hoped I was going to return to Poland and start some activities to develop this education there, what is happening now, exactly right now. Yet, it took me thirty years. Anyways… at the beginning I thought that I would come back to Poland, to be honest. I thought that I would come back to Poland. I didn’t see myself these as…When I was studying, you feel a bit different. When you are at the university, you don’t have this ordinary life, there is a bit of… Studying is slightly different, we are on the other planet.
At the beginning I treated is as a phase in my life. When I was given, like the dean of the faculty granted me the scholarship, then one of the reasons he did that was that I was the first guy from Central and Eastern Europe, who studied there and he hoped I was going to return to Poland and start some activities to develop this education there, what is happening now, exactly right now. Yet, it took me thirty years. Anyways… at the beginning I thought that I would come back to Poland, to be honest. I thought that I would come back to Poland. I didn’t see myself these as…When I was studying, you feel a bit different. When you are at the university, you don’t have this ordinary life, there is a bit of… Studying is slightly different, we are on the other planet.
Return to a different Poland
I knew that it was near Łomża, but I really didn’t believe, I really didn’t believe. When I came to Poland, for the first time after six years from leaving the country, I still didn’t believe that I could have come in and they let me out, let me out. It was a totally bizarre experience. As Poland, had not theoretically changed at all. When I arrived, it was the same, even this Poland looked worse , when it comes to apartment buildings, houses, streets – as looked six, seven years back, as at the start of the transition period there were no investments. These investments kicked off practically when Poland joined Europe. It looked like there was freedom, i.e. there were more stores, more of different kinds of restaurants - this was the first thing I recognized – there were stores, and they became more colorful, yet still it was pretty the same. So, I thought… well… would it take 50 more years. So, if you have a little bit of experience…. And then, I had a job back in the UK, as I got it after graduation, in a clinic near London, and I thought: well, maybe I would wait a bit longer.
I knew that it was near Łomża, but I really didn’t believe, I really didn’t believe. When I came to Poland, for the first time after six years from leaving the country, I still didn’t believe that I could have come in and they let me out, let me out. It was a totally bizarre experience. As Poland, had not theoretically changed at all. When I arrived, it was the same, even this Poland looked worse , when it comes to apartment buildings, houses, streets – as looked six, seven years back, as at the start of the transition period there were no investments. These investments kicked off practically when Poland joined Europe. It looked like there was freedom, i.e. there were more stores, more of different kinds of restaurants - this was the first thing I recognized – there were stores, and they became more colorful, yet still it was pretty the same. So, I thought… well… would it take 50 more years. So, if you have a little bit of experience…. And then, I had a job back in the UK, as I got it after graduation, in a clinic near London, and I thought: well, maybe I would wait a bit longer.
