Two of Our Alumni Competed at the Winter Olympics

We had the chance to cheer for two Corvinus alumni at the Winter Olympics that wrapped up last week. Ádám Büki graduated a few years ago with a BA in Commerce and Marketing, followed by an MSc in Sports Economics. Dr. Mihály Kertész completed his BA in Commerce and Marketing more than a decade ago. 

Originally from Miskolc, Ádám Büki began cross-country skiing at the age of 6–7 in Galyatető and continued training alongside his university studies. He currently lives and works in Budapest, while remaining a member of Miskolci Honvéd SE. Reflecting on his Olympic journey, he wrote: 

“No one said it would be easy. But no one said it would be this hard either. I completed the entire four-year Olympic cycle while working full-time, but in the end, it all came together. When I started working alongside sport, I almost gave up on the Olympics, yet I kept pushing through the intense training. Every single day I worked for it, then I saw hope again—and from that point on, it was the first thing I thought about in the morning and the last at night. I had to draw on physical and mental reserves I didn’t even know I had.” 

Ádám finished 90th in the qualification round of the men’s individual classic sprint event in Milano-Cortina. In the men’s 50 km race, he placed 54th. 

For 37-year-old Dr. Mihály Kertész, the road to the Winter Olympics was an adventure in many ways. Competing at the Games fulfilled his lifelong dream—and he made history as Israel’s first cross-country skier at the Olympics. His journey was not without obstacles: preparing in Thailand, where he had never even seen snow, posed unique challenges, and he received Israeli citizenship at the very last minute—an essential requirement for participation. 

After overcoming numerous uncertainties and setbacks, stepping onto the Olympic course for the first time was, as he described it, an out-of-this-world experience: 

“For two or three minutes, I just skied slowly, holding my head in disbelief that this was really happening. That I was truly here. The Olympic rings were everywhere. I kept looking at them on every banner, and that’s when it began to sink in that this was real.” 

According to his estimates, his multi-year preparation for the Olympics cost more than 50 million forints in total—but it was worth it to see his dream come true. Competing in Israeli colors, Mihály Kertész finished 110th in the men’s 10 km freestyle cross-country skiing event. 

We reached out to both cross-country skiers with our questions, and we’ll be publishing short flash interviews with them soon.