
I was born in Prague, Czech Republic and started athletics through a selection to Top Sport Athletics School in Prague at the age of 10, and competed for a club called Slavia Praha. The first 4 years were a general overall introduction to all sports with emphasis on athletics and all of its events (track as well as field). However what I found the most rewarding and satisfying in those 4 early years , we tried and practiced all possible sports, team and individual summer sports (football, basketball, volleyball, handball, swimming, cycling, archery, gymnastics, field hockey, softball, lacrosse, badminton, water polo and many others) as well as winter sports (skiing, skating, cross country skiing, ice hockey, curling). It was the best overall preparation to become fully immersed in track and field by the age of 14, with a chosen specialization in sprints (50m, 60m and 150m as Benjamin, with 100, 200 and 300m as Miniemen and Kadetten/Scholieren). There were many competitions which I participated in individually as well as with a club. Few national championships won on 60m and 150m, with few top three finishes in the older categories, and favorite 4x60 and 4x100m relays with many titles won for our club Slavia Praha. As during the communist regime it was difficult to travel abroad, through athletics competitions and training camps we got the opportunity to visit countries abroad and meet athletes from other countries. So my favourite events – 100 and 200m, long jump and 4x100 relay.