Dan Ciccocioppo fell in love with cars when he was 15. When the family’s Mazda died, his father wanted to get rid of it, but Dan convinced his father to let him try to resuscitate it.
Without any engineering or automotive training – just a drive to solve the problem – Dan pulled the engine out and dismantled it.
“I was interested in seeing what was inside an engine and see if I could figure out what went wrong,” he said. “Unfortunately, it turned out to be a terminal case of seized bearings and not worth the expense of an engine re-build, but I’m sure the scrap yard appreciated the disassembly!”
Dan went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering and is now the T6 global OPD program manager and PD launch manager. He still loves to solve problems, take on challenges and see new products come to life.
That love of challenge shows up in his life outside of work, especially in sports and competition.
"I get inspired everyday by seeing people overcoming obstacles in their life,” he said. “I’m someone that likes to take on a challenge and push the boundaries of what is possible for myself.”
In the last year Dan competed in several Spartan events, half marathons, and trail runs, earning some age division wins and a second place at the Asia Pacific Championship Spartan event in Phuket. He also coaches the Thailand Women's National team for Touch Rugby, which will be competing at the Asian Championships in China in November and the World Cup in England in 2024.
“Touch Rugby is a game I really love and am passionate about,” he said. “It’s one of few sports that can be played in mixed gender format, across age groups and across cultures. It’s a dynamic, high fitness game full of strategy that continues to provide challenges at all levels.
“I get a lot of satisfaction in giving back to communities through enabling diverse sports participation and volunteer coaching and refereeing at many events,” Dan said. “And I am inspired everyday by seeing people overcoming obstacles in their life and achieving things they thought impossible.”
One of these inspirations for Dan is Australian Football League player Jason McCartney’s comeback to professional level after surviving the Bali Bombings in 2002 and suffering second-degree burns to 50 percent of his body.
“He almost died but found a way to get back to elite level,” Dan said. “I met Jason and, having been a keen supporter for his team since early childhood, this was a very special moment for me.”
On a more personal level, he said his father is his biggest inspiration.
“My father never had the opportunity to go to school, only completing Grade 1 and 2, before WWII swept through Italy where he lived, destroying his home and displacing his family,” Dan said. “Yet he had the courage to migrate to Australia with nothing and build a successful life, raising a family of 5 kids.
“He always instilled in me that I was no different than everyone else and that there was nothing to stop me being successful,” Dan said. “He would always encourage us to not let any adversity, prejudice or circumstances get in the way of what we wanted to achieve. This, and the importance of being resilient in adversity, has always stayed with me and served me well.”