About me

My history…

Daniel Gorak was born in Krakow (Poland) on October 9rd 1983. From a very young age, he was passionate about table tennis . At the age of six when his father, a former athlete, musician and “orchestra man,” purchased a table tennis table and laid it out in the basement, Daniel spent every evening bouncing the ball off the wall. With this purchase, an immediate passion for the sport grew. The table has remained in the basement to this day and the same can be said about how he feels about the sport. Privately, Daniel comes from a large family, full of love, with four sisters and a brother. His mother was constantly at his side, supporting him in his quest to be the best. Daniel has often said that if it was not for his family, their devotion, dedication and great support, he would be hard pressed to call himself a table tennis player. He still recalls fond memories of traveling with his father several kilometers after school three times a week to catch a bus to train in Krakow. At the age of 14, the first major decision had to be made. The question of what next had to be addressed. Training in the Krakow club was not enough to further his development, which meant he had to leave his family and his home. His new trainer is suggestion to come to Drzonków and train at the Olympic Preparation Center turned out to be the correct decision. Under his trainer’s leadership, Daniel improved his talent and skills with the sport. During this period, he was one of the youngest players at the club and had an opportunity to learn from older and more experienced colleagues. As it turned out, Drzonków became an immense blessing. He not only began to progress as a beginner player, but he also met his wife with whom he has been for 20 years. At 19, after several years of playing for his club in Zielona Gora, Daniel received a proposal to move to France to represent the colors of the French club. It was a turbulent time, filled with intensity and hard work. However the effort paid off when he became a French Champion three times.
Internationally, Daniel has represented the Polish national team for 22 years taking part in important sporting events such as the World Championships, European Championships as well as the Olympics. At 18, even as a young player, he earned his first important title. He became an individual Junior European Champion. That moment truly signified the beginning of his fast-growing sports career.
This career has been able to show him more and more interesting sports challenges. He was able to overcome these challenges because he is a fighter. He understands that people can not become complacent . One can always do more. The rise in adrenaline before each contest with an opponent is almost as addictive as the best coffee. This” coffee” will keep him playing as long as his health allows it. Daniel believes that sharing what you love the most is one of the greatest achievements a person can have.