Mihai Zaharia: Forty-two years ago, when I was attending a professional school in the area, I came to train in the sports hall of the Rapid Club and stayed here. It has been 30 years since I set a Romanian record in the long jump, which held for 25 years. I was the first Romanian to have jumped over 8 meters (8.01) on September 7, 1969, at the European Railways Championship in Kosice (Czechoslovakia).
Later, I became a coach and I take great pride in having trained world champions. To give a few names: Vali Ionescu - women's world champion in long jump with 7.20 m in 1982, who now coaches at the Rapid Club - or Rodica Nateescu - world's second in 1997 in Athens, where she made 15.17 m in triple jump. In 1993, I brought from Bistrita to the Rapid Club this wonder girl, Gabriela Szabo, who gave us, in these seven years, world champion titles and world records. In the last three years, she is the world's best athlete.

R.J.: When did you become the president of the Rapid Sports Club?

M.Z.: I was elected president of the Rapid Sports Club in 1990. I found a deplorable situation here. The football team was in the second division, and every section was down. What I have done since then, I think is obvious. I could give a few examples: the women's handball team won in 1993 the International Handball Federation Cup, Violeta Beclea was the world vice-champion this year, and Gabi Szabo, who needs no presentation. The women's basketball team is the Romanian champion at senior class; the junior women's handball team finished third this summer and will probably fight for first place; in weightlifting, we have world and European champions; the polo, wrestling and karate sections also earned medals at European and world championships.

R.J.: How many sections does the Club have?

M.Z.: Fifteen sections: athletics, volleyball - women, basketball - women, handball - women, free wrestling, weightlifting, karate, water polo, bowling, judo, boxing, basketball - men, Greek-Roman wrestling, ice hockey - men, and football.

R.J.: What is today the Rapid Club?

M.Z.: The Rapid Club today is a social phenomenon, an accomplished fact. There are a lot of people attracted by this phenomenon - not only railway employees, although the Transports Ministry and the railway companies (CFR - SA, CFR Freight, CFR Passengers and SAAF) are our main supporters. Why do these people love us? First of all, because our achievements are clean and not rigged; they are obtained with work. Rapid fans are now everywhere; a lot of people love Rapid. I can say that, from the moment one comes in contact with this Phenomenon, he or she is injected with the "Rapid microbe" and becomes a special person.