Gábor Faldum
Sports and a healthy lifestyle became part of my life when I was a little child and followed the example set by my parents. My childhood years, mostly spent in the company of my family, could be best described as ‘active’.
I was born on 24 June 1988 in the town of Baja as a third child. The idea of living in a large family was reinforced when, besides my two elder sisters, I also ‘received’ two lovely little sisters. Thus, the five of us could have even made a complete basketball team, but we left the technical ball game to the experts.
As a kindergartener, I followed the example of my parents and mastered the basic techniques of swimming and wrestling, and later benefitted a lot from them. I first met triathlon at the age of 8, when, motivated by my elder sisters, I went to a training session in Baja. The nice atmosphere I found there made me a slave to the sport. Besides the nice atmosphere, my hard training work was also accompanied by success. My talents showed early, since after as little as two years’ preparation, I became a Hungarian age group champion in triathlon, as well as in its cousin sport, duathlon.
I debuted in the adult age group in 2010, and I became a Hungarian champion. My first international success is also linked to Hungary, just like that of the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, who participated in his first international competition in the town of Debrecen, in 2001, to become junior world champion; I was celebrated at the triathlon world championship final in Budapest as the best Hungarian competitor. My other international successes also include a 4th place at the Latin American Continental Cup. In 2013, a year after the London Olympics, I left my comfort zone and participated in the national trail run race, where I came in 3rd and qualified for the European Championship. In 2014, I stood on the podium for the first time at the triathlon World Championship held in Tiszaújváros, with a bronze medal hanging around my neck. In that same year, I came in 5th at the Australian triathlon continental championship. My best results this year have been a 2nd place, again at the Triathlon World Cup held in Tiszaújváros, and a 3rd place at the Cozumel Triathlon World Cup in Mexico.
Currently, I’m in a good position to make my greatest dream come true and qualify for the Rio Olympics. I mostly prepare here in my home town, which, besides physical preparation, also allows me to relax mentally.