Returning after one (always)
short summer break, the Portuguese Orienteering Blog comes again to
the subject of Trail Orienteering and to the interviews carried out
during the WTOC 2012, in Scotland. Our invited today is Fruzsina
Biró, a 38 year old hungarian, Psychologist, who lives in
Nagykovácsi. Started in Trail-O in 2007, she took her best result in
Trondheim, at the WTOC 2010, with a 5th
position in the Paralympic Class. Last year, in France, she was 6th
place in the Open Class but this year the results
weren't exactly what she expected. This and many more to read right
now.
How did you start in TrailO and
why?
Fruzsina Biró (F. B.) - My
family is one of the most well-known orienteering families in Hungary
(there are some World Championship places and many national
championships), so I started in Foot Orienteering early, when I was 4
years old. Orienteering is just a hobby for me, but an important
hobby. Unfortunately six years ago I became ill (joint disease) and I
had to stop running. In those years, some trailO events began to be
organized in Hungary (thanks to Julia Grant and László Nemesházi)
and I tried it… TrailO is a good game for me, maybe a little bit
more than a hobby. For some years, it was the only sporting
facilities and connection with the orienteering for me. I'm very
lucky because I could start running again last year, but TrailO is
still my favourite.
During these years, what are your
best memories? And the worst?
F. B. - My most beautiful
memory is my first mistake-free competition in Trondheim on the first
day of WTOC 2010 (and then the 5th place). There were good
moments with the Hungarian team. And the WTOC 2009 in Hungary was
very exciting because in the first day of competition was my
pregnancy due date and in the morning of the 2nd day my
daughter was born.
What did you feel about WTOC
2012?
F. B. – We were a four
members team and it was very good for me, because I often must
compete as the only Hungarian. The most fantastic thing that we saw
here in Scotland, was the behaviour about handicapped people (for
example the public transport in Dundee). Organisers were very kind
and helpful.
And the courses?
F. B. – The courses were
very difficult for me and specially for the beginners of the
Hungarian team. I had never been in Great Britain for a TrailO event,
so all of this, the terrains and the courses, were very strange for
me. But I must say I enjoyed the courses a lot. Sometimes I had
problems with the map, mainly on the first day, but usually I am
looking for the reasons myself. I spent all the time we had, I
concentrated a lot but I wasn't good enough in this competition. I'm
a little bit sad with my results, I have to do more exercise
(laughs). I did not like the Model Event because it was not similar
or useful enough for the competitions.
Trail-O or TempO?
F. B. - I love TempO although
I'm not fast enough. I think TempO is the key for the integration of
new members - especially young people - into this sport.
How is TrailO doing in Hungary?
F. B. – TrailO in Hungary
is on a turning point. We've organized the WTOC in 2009, but the
first members who organized this big event are retired and they're no
longer with us. Now we try to start again or continue, we try to
involve some other people, many people... we try! We have a little
group of paralympic competitors, a little more orienteers and about
ten events per year. There were 70 participants on the TrailO
Championship this year - I think we are on the right track.
How can we do that? Finding
people from Foot Orienteering?
F. B. – Yes, also from Foot
Orienteering. But I think that the important thing in Trail
Orienteering is the handicapped people. We have many participants
from Foot Orienteering, but we have another new group from an
Institute that works with handicapped people. Our main problem is the
situation of disabled people: sport is not an important thing for
them because they have many financial, work and medical problems.
We'll have ETOC 2014 in Portugal
– I should say that you've participated this year in the Portugal
O' Meeting's TrailO course – and perhaps you can tell me what you
expect from our event?
F. B. - Orienteering
and nice weather instead of hungarian winter - that was a good
combination, I loved it. The TrailO course was great too, although I
was not tuned (I wrote about it on my blog:
http://www.tajbingo.blogspot.hu/2012/04/pom-trailo-en.html).
My plan includes the ETOC 2014 in Portugal…
For how long are we going to see
you doing Trail-O?
F. B. - I don't know; maybe I
will stop it if I win a WTOC gold medal (laughs).
Joaquim Margarido
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