|
RRI newsletter subcription
(e-mail address):
|
 |
Archives:
|
|
| Romania’s first Paralympic champion |
| (2012-09-12) |
| Last updated: 2012-09-12 13:42 EET |
In Sunday’s closing ceremony, London celebrated the 4,200 athletes who participated in the 2012 Paralympic Games hosted by the British capital. Each and every one of them is a champion, regardless of their position in the rankings, because of their will to go forward, not give up hope and overcome their physical limits. Romania’s delegation to London was made up of 6 athletes, which makes this the biggest Romanian participation in the history of the Paralympic Games.
One of these athletes is the cyclist Eduard Novak, who walked home with two medals: gold in the velodrome track and silver in the road time trial. As Romania’s first Paralympic champion, Novak got a hero’s welcome in front of a 2000-strong crowd in Miercurea Ciuc, central Romania.
Eduard Novak: “It was a surprise because I thought this was a small town and that people didn’t know me. Ice hockey is the main sport here so when I saw all these wonderful people who came to greet me I thought I was dreaming.”
Eduard Novak is 35 years old and is a former national speed skating champion. In his teens he lost his right foot in a car accident. It took him two years to think about what he was going to do and then he took up cycling. Novak says his disability cannot compare to that of other athletes who took part in the Paralympic Games.
“In London I felt I didn’t belong there”, he said “because I’m only missing my right foot. There were so many other very complicated cases. However, when you look at their faces … They went dancing in their wheelchairs on our last day in London and when you saw how much fun they had you realized that life went on and every problem has a solution. These athletes have different ideas about life.”
Life does go on and Carol Novak is determined to continue his training so as to participate in the next Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He has called for support from the government for all Paralympic athletes. He warns that without a good programme, it will be very difficult for Romania to win another medal in 4 years’ time.
|
|
| |
WMA |
|
64kbps : |
1
2
3
|
|
|
128kbps : |
1
2
3
|
| |
MP3 |
|
|
64kbps : |
1
2
3
|
|
|
128kbps : |
1
2
3
|
| |
AAC+ |
|
|
48kbps : |
1
2
3
|
|
|
64kbps : |
1
2
3
|
 Historical mascot of
RRI |
| |
© 1999 - 2011 Copyright Radio Romania International |
|
2025-04-03
Print
Listen again