Derek Piotrowski

Operations Specialist Petty Officer 1st Class Derek Piotrowski joined the U.S. Navy in 2006 driven by a profound sense of personal responsibility, he wanted to support his daughter, who was born his senior year of high school. In Spring 2025, he was medically evacuated from Sasebo, Japan, to San Diego, Calif., to start chemotherapy for testicular cancer. He turned to Navy Wounded Warrior to help him navigate living between two places as his household goods needed to be packed in Japan, then took months to arrive by ship. His care team encouraged him to begin participating in adaptive sports, but he did not initially think the program was a good fit for him. Once he started, he did not stop. His favorite adaptive sport quickly became wheelchair basketball because it gave him a chance to reconnect with a game he loved playing in high school. Being part of Team Navy reignited Piotrowski’s competitive spirit and motivated him to get back into an exercise routine and regain what was lost during treatments. Away from the field, he enjoys staying fit, spending time with friends and family, playing music, video games, movies, and learning new tech.