Life Journey
If we want to change our lifestyle, we should not try to change everything at once, but start with small steps.
Sarolta Monspart
Sarolta Monspart
The woman who got a whole country walking
“Nature is the most wonderful sports stadium in the world.”
Sarolta Monspart was a world champion orienteer, a Member of the Nation’s Sportsmen and Women, and the visionary behind the MOSA Walking Club Network. Throughout her life, she believed that exercise is not only about health, but also brings community, joy and a zest for life.
Her Life
Sarolta Monspart (Budapest, November 17, 1944 – April 24, 2021) was a world champion orienteer awarded the title of Member of the Nation’s Sportsmen and Women, a fourteen-time Hungarian champion, and a six-time Hungarian champion in cross-country skiing. She was the first woman in Europe to run the marathon distance in under three hours. Her active sporting career was cut short by a tick-borne disease (encephalitis). After this, she encouraged women to live healthily, with running as one possible means of doing so.
In 1960, she began competing in running for Budapesti Pedagógus (Hungarian Teacher’s Club), and in 1969 she transferred to Budapesti Spartacus. Between 1964 and 1977, she won 14 consecutive individual Hungarian championship titles in orienteering. In addition, she won 9 relay and 11 team championship titles, making her a 34-time Hungarian orienteering champion overall. She did not rest in winter either, winning six Hungarian championship titles in cross-country skiing as a competitor for Vasas SC.
The great successes came in the 1970s, and in 1972 she became the first non-Scandinavian to win the orienteering World Championships held in Czechoslovakia.
In 1976, she became the first non-Scandinavian to win the five-day orienteering competition O-Ringen, held in Sweden.
In 1978, she won a silver medal at the unofficial World Championships in marathon running in Atlanta.
In the same year, she contracted tick-borne encephalitis, which nearly killed her. After 6 days in a coma and six weeks of intensive care, she recovered within a year, but her right leg remained partially paralyzed, despite which she remained active in sports until her death and, instead of elite sport, devoted her energy to a career in sports diplomacy and to changing the mindset of the 60+ generation. She had been battling cancer since 2016. On May 3, 2021, she was laid to rest at Farkasréti Cemetery in Budapest.
Education
In 1963, she graduated from Szilágyi Erzsébet High School in Budapest.
She earned two degrees: she completed the mathematics-physics program at the Faculty of Science of ELTE, and the sports management and specialist coaching program at the College of Physical Education.
Her Work
She worked at the National Institute for Health Development, among other things participating in the Johan Béla National Public Health Program, serving as the professional director of Avon’s national women’s exercise program, and serving as president of the Wesselényi Miklós Sports Public Foundation until October 2004.
By organizing the National Walking Club Network for the Elderly, she promoted exercise and an active, healthy lifestyle among retirees, and she also led walking clubs in three districts.
According to a decision of the General Assembly of Budapest, from September 1, 2021, the running track on Margaret Island bears the name of Sarolta Monspart.
Awards, Honors
- Received the gold grade of the Sports Medal of Merit of the Hungarian People’s Republic twice
- Outstanding Athlete
- Meritorious Athlete
- Fair Play Award recipient
- Hungarian Orienteer of the Year (1971–1977)
- Master Coach (1989)
- Medal of Merit of the President of the Republic (2003)
- Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Sports Federation (2006)
- Príma Primissima Award (2010)
- MOB (Hungarian Olympic Committee) Special Award for Women in Sport (2012)[12]
- MOB (Hungarian Olympic Committee) Fair Play Award, recreational sports category (2014)
- Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary (2018)[13]
- Honorary Citizen of Hegyvidék (2019)[14]
- Member of the Nation’s Sportsmen and Women (2020)
Source: Wikipédia