Andrei hoping to fly high in world frisbee championships
For many of us, it's just a pastime in the park, on the beach or while walking the dog.
But nearly four years ago, Andrei Mandzuk, picked up a Frisbee to take part in the fast-moving team sport, Ultimate, after signing up for a university club. And he is now gearing up to represent Great Britain in this summer's World Ultimate Frisbee Championships in London.
The sport is played with a flying disc that is thrown between players and caught to score points in an end zone.
It has been compared to sports like American football and is becoming one of the fastest growing sports internationally.
Now played in more than 50 countries, millions of people have taken up the new sporting trend, including 15,000 in the UK alone.
Mr Mandzuk, of Mallard Way, Penkridge, joined an Ultimate Frisbee club when he started to study sports science at Bangor University at the age of 18.
The 22-year-old, who is now studying a master's course in applied sports psychology, said: "Some friends from my course played it. I got into it for the social side, quite enjoyed it and started taking it more seriously.
"I was a little bit sceptical at first when I played it, but it's really fun.
"The pitch is like American football. You play with a normal 175g Frisbee and start by throwing it to the opposing end.
"You pass the Frisbee around and like netball, you can't move when you've got it.
"You get one point for catching it in the end zone and it's the first to 17."
He also played in the mixed team representing Birmingham in the national championships last year when the squad won, picking up a team trophy and individual medals.
The former Wolgarston High School pupil tried out for the Great Britain squad at trials in Manchester and Coventry last year and was selected for the men's team.
The tournament opening ceremony will take place at at University College London sports ground on July 12 and the finals are played on July 18.
Around 40 teams will be battling it out across three divisions to be crowned world champions and thousands of spectators are expected to descend on London to watch the fast paced sport which is played on a pitch measuring 328ft by 121ft.
There are three teams for Great Britain, one in each of the open, mixed and women's divisions, vying to take down the traditionally strong teams sent by USA, Canada and Japan.
