From karate championships to IT

Adrian Filip is a QA specialist at Scalo. His resume reads like a film script—from winning Polish and European Karate Championships to ensuring the highest quality of technological products. We invite you to read an interview in which Adrian talks about how competitive sport has shaped his approach to work and how finding a balance between passion and profession can lead to success on many levels of life.

What does your work involve? What challenges do you face?

I have been working at Scalo for almost 2 years as a Senior QA Specialist. In other words, I manage the quality of the product that is ready to be delivered to the customer. I check the performance of the application/system and give the green light when the product is ready to become exposed. To my friends, I usually keep it short: I check the work of the developers.

As for challenges, like everywhere else, there are deadlines and last-minute changes from clients. That’s it for the current project, but in this position, I have already had the opportunity to represent the Polish branch on the main board of a global leader in the telecommunications industry and supervise the installation of a new product for Polish mobile operators.

Can you tell us about your greatest achievements in karate? How does it feel to be a Polish Champion and European Vice-Champion?

I started practicing karate as a child, at first just for fun. As a person who likes challenges and can’t stand losing, I soon became interested in serious training and competitions. In addition to many medals from the Polish Championships and two from the European Championships, I have accumulated several international successes (+80 karate medals).

t’s always a positive feeling, although you get used to it with time. The important thing is to enjoy it and set yourself further goals.

How often and how long do you train?

When competing, I had four karate sessions a week, plus other sports and individual training, so the total number of sessions a week often reached 10.

Has karate brought something more to your life than just physical activity? If so, what?

Yes. Respect for others: opponents, coaches, the elderly, and the weak. It taught me to accept defeat, that hard work pays off, and that nothing comes easy. Discipline is needed in any sport, and that’s an essential lesson from karate.

Is sport a vital part of your life? What role does it play in your daily life?

It’s very important. When I was a kid, my parents enrolled me in everything they could because I had way too much energy. It’s still a bit like that, which is why sport is on my schedule a few times a week. I used to train regularly until recently when I stopped because the week was too short to train myself.

Nowadays, I sometimes teach karate as a substitute or at sports camps. I still do a bit of karate training myself, but more time is now devoted to volleyball, as I have been playing in an amateur league for many years. I also play football regularly, go to the gym, ride my bike, and sometimes run.

Football, handball, volleyball. If you had to choose just one sport, which would it be?

Now I would choose football or volleyball. I would choose a sport where competing would allow me to live comfortably, as few sports offer a decent wage in adulthood.

Many people are even surprised that I ended up ‘behind a desk,’ but no worries – I make up for the lack of exercise after work.

How long have you been interested in traveling? Where have you traveled so far?

I started traveling more at university, but at first, it was more about lying down than discovering unfamiliar places. After university, I concentrated more on exploring unknown areas.

I think I have visited about 40 countries, and the top three places I have been to are Japan (a completely different world – incredible architecture and unimaginable cultural differences), Iceland (one day a melting glacier, observed in flip-flops, the next a volcano about to erupt) and the United Arab Emirates (suffice it to say, they have momentum).

What do you enjoy most about traveling?

I like discovering new places, especially those with architecture, culture, fauna, and flora that are different from ours. Most of my trips are spontaneous, but I also like to get a bit lost without a plan.

Do you prefer active holidays or relaxing on the beach when you travel?

It depends on the time of year, but in recent years, I have preferred sightseeing or a combination of the two.

What are your upcoming travel plans?

I’m off to Norway in a week for a beach volleyball tournament, and at the end of June, I’m looking forward to visiting Singapore and Malaysia; I’m sure it will be awesome.