New Year's Day 2009 issue of Romania's 'Gazeta Sporturilor' featuring Constantina Dita and Coach Valeriu Tomescu on the cover (© Freelance)
Olympic Marathon champion Constantina Dita shares with IAAF Online readers her family holidays back in Romania and tells us how she made it to a historical Magazine cover…
“For the Christmas holidays this year, I just wanted to go back to Romania, stay with my family, and completely shut down and relax. The day after my son’s school in Colorado began their winter vacation, we flew to Romania. It was so nice to have all my family together in our hometown, because we didn’t really get too much time together after Beijing. And of course, our families are the ones we want to spend time with after a result like in Beijing. It was a lot of fun there. I have a very big family and it was wonderful for Rafael to see all his cousins, aunts, and uncles.
“Even though it was my vacation, there were a lot of events from the media in Romania. Just the day before Christmas Eve, Romania’s top sports magazine, “Gazeta Sporturilor” held their annual awards banquet, called the “Superlatives Gala.”
“I was nominated for the Athlete of the Year honour, and was really shocked that I received it. There were some other very good athletes nominated, athletes who had won not only an Olympic gold medal, but also a European Championships gold medal. There was the gymnast Sandra Izbasa, judo player Alina Dumitru, and the rowers Georgeta Andronache and Viorica Susanu. It was really a great honour to be selected from this group of athletes.
“Also in Targu-Jiu, where I started my training at age 18 and where I still have my main residence in Romania, I was given a "Key to the City" from the Mayor. And on Christmas Day, television cameras came to my family’s house and filmed us enjoying the big Christmas feast and celebrating the holiday.
“The magazines and newspapers also paid us a lot of attention. Our two big sports publications, Prosport and Gazeta Sporturilor, both put me on their covers at the end of the year. The editor of Prosport told my coach, Vali Tomescu, that this was the first time they ever did this for a track and field athlete. I hope our federation was happy. I think from all this, we have a chance now to increase the popularity of athletics in Romania.
“I came back to Erie, Colorado about ten days ago. The long build-up for the London Marathon is under way. I have been 2nd place there once, and 3rd place there two times, so I want very much to make another good race in London. I feel recovered after the good rest in Romania, so I am eager to prepare well for London.
“I have to make a short trip back to Romania next week. This is for the major athletic award ceremony of the year, which will be on January 31st, when the Ministry of Sport and our Olympic Committee select the National Athlete of the year, the “Premiul National pentru Sport.” The president of Romania, Traian Basescu, will be there to present the awards.”
Constatina
