Awards for Gabi Szabo and Violeta Beclea-Szekely

    The Transport Ministry and the Rapid Club took the initiative to award two of the representatives of Romania who received medals at the Sidney Olympiad: Gabi Szabo and Violeta Beclea-Szekely.
    During the two weeks that passed since their return from Australia, the two athletes already received dozens of prizes. Thursday, October 12, was the turn of the Rapid Club – where the two athletes are members, although they haven’t competed under the cherry-white banner.
    At the Headquarters of the Transport Ministry, Mis Anca Daniela Boiagiu, acting Minister of Transport and the president of the Rapid Club, Mr. Mihai Zaharia, congratulated the two athletes on their feats at the Olympiad: Gabriela Szabo was congratulated for the gold medal and the title of Olympic Champion for 5000 meters and Violeta Beclea- Szekely for the silver medal she received on the 1500 meter run. The two great personalities of Romanian athleticism received beautiful roses that matched the clothes they were wearing and a “surprise” envelope. Asked about the amount of money, Anca Boiagiu said: “It is not the money that counts. No amount of money could repay the efforts of these two girls.” At a latter date, sources within the Ministry mentioned that Gabriela Szabo received 100 million lei and Violeta Beclea 50 million lei.
    In addition, Gabriela Szabo, was handed a “Honorary Diploma” from the Ministry of Transport and one from the Rapid Club. The two athletes thanked for the honors and stated:
    Gabriela Szabo: “ Since we returned from Sidney we lived fantastic moments with the people who supported us. We thank you and we hope to do it again.”
    Violeta Beclea: “We thank this Ministry that supported us in times of joy and of sorrow.”
    Latter, we were able to obtain from Gabriela Szabo an exclusive statement for the Railway Journal, a statement that she was pleased to make:
    “I lived thrilling moments here, at the Transport ministry, especially that Madam Minister took a few moments from her precious time to receive us. It was special and we felt highly appreciated.”
    We asked her that now, after the closing of the sporting events, she found some peace and relaxation in her life. She said:
    “It is a bit difficult because I cannot refuse the people who supported me in my training and that were there for me, when they request my presence. It is a great pleasure though to be next to them now.”
    The next day, accompanied by her parents and her husband Szolt Gyongyossy, Gabriela Szabo managed to leave for Eforie Nord for two weeks of recuperation at the Grand Hotel, where she will take cures of mud, kineto and electro therapy and she will swim in the Techirghiol pull. Not many people know that our great athlete is against medication and a fervent adept to natural cures.

Reporting Silvia Mitulescu