A sound mind can thrive in a body that is not whole – Photo exhibition has opened
Along the corridor of the sports centre at the Gellért Campus, students pause to take a closer look at the photographs: basketball players in action, the explosive start of swimmers, a goalball match, and a sitting volleyball team mid-game. A sound mind in a sound body – and it is just as true that even in a body that is not whole, after an accident, a serious injury or illness, parasport can offer purpose, meaning, wonderful moments and friendships. “You have to listen to the others, what they’re thinking and what they’re planning, so you have to stay really focused. You have to think like a team, and this ability actually helps you a lot in everyday life, too. And another reason why I like it, of course, is that the sitting volleyball team is a tight-knit group, we have opening and closing parties, and we often get together. I have a friend, too, in the team”, said Bara Eszter, part-time librarian at Corvinus University of Budapest in a previous interview, as a member of the Hungarian national sitting volleyball team, she and her teammates won the tournament at the Silver Nations League in Nottingham.
This year, the traditional Parasport Day also included a photo exhibition for the first time, said Kata Szamos-Németh, PE teacher at the Gellért Campus. Of the fifteen large-format colour photographs, six depict parasport competitions. This year’s programme also featured a sitting volleyball tournament and, as usual, a blood donation drive, organised by the Physical Education and Sport Centre and the Student Wellbeing and Community Centre.
The photographs were taken by Tamás Mihály, a university student who also happens to be a member of the university’s men’s MEFOB basketball team. The event was supported by Corvinus University of Budapest, Közgáz SC and DSK, the Physical Education and Sport Centre, and the Hungarian University and College Sports Federation. In recent years, Hungarian university champions have included Boglárka Kapás, Éva Risztov, Dániel Gyurta and László Cseh.
For Kata Szamos-Németh, however, sport is not primarily important because elite university athletes have gone on to become world-famous champions. She herself is a basketball coach and also works with yoga, pilates, trampoline training and sports event organisation. The first parasport athlete she met was someone who, following knee surgery due to cancer, could not take up traditional sports but found a place in parasport.
Kata believes that after completing the two compulsory semesters of physical education, many students return to take part in sport again, even for a fee, because exercise has become an important part of their lives. “We offer more than thirty different sports at the university. Everyone can find something that suits them, and I am certain that everyone can discover a sport they truly enjoy.” She also says that those who exercise regularly tend to be more adaptable and open, and always try to support one another. In her view, it is often visible at a glance who considers physical activity an essential part of everyday life: it shows in their posture, even in the way they walk. “I have heard many excuses from students about why they do not play sport: they do not have time, they have to study, they need to attend classes. It is true that getting started can be difficult, but those who do exercise are better off. It helps reduce stress, build perseverance, develop flexibility and supports setting and achieving goals. All of this applies just as much to parasport athletes,” she says.
Kata stresses that if any student or member of staff approaches them with a request, they are happy to organise sporting opportunities and to help with entering competitions. There are currently training sessions specifically for staff, and employees are also welcome to join certain PE classes. She adds that they organise gatherings for alumni and club members as well. Graduates from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s, along with teachers, compete each year at the Közgáz Memorial Tournament. They also warmly welcome students who would like to take up a parasport. This year, for example, the Közgáz SC and DSK sitting volleyball team was established.
The photo exhibition can be viewed at the Gellért Campus Sport Centre until Wednesday, 4 March.
Katalin Török
Photos: Tamás Mihály
