On March 10, 2022, in Lauta Park was held the traditional athletics cross with the participation of athletes from universities in the city, including students from the Medical University – Plovdiv.
We are proud of the achievements and rankings of Vasil Dimitrov, 4th year medical student, (third place), and Wei Ho Chui, 3rd year medical student, (fourth place,) and the team’s second place.
The students presented the trophy to the head of the Department of Physical Education and Sports, Assoc. Prof. Albena Ivanova and shared with us their inspiring thoughts about running.
I can’t give a mathematical or rational explanation of the liberation I feel when I run. It is only something I can encourage you to do so you can taste the same freedom that I taste daily. My memories span from running in the Malaysian heat to the Bulgarian snow, from the British rain at sunrise to the golden beaches of the Dominican Republic at sunset. Running is a form of self-expression. It can be a measure of determination, endurance, concentration and hard work but most importantly it is about character. No one can tell you how to run. You run how you want to. Sometimes slow and sometimes fast. Most important is to enjoy each movement.
I’d like to share my feelings in a race.
My main distance was the 800m. That’s two laps of the track. As you stand on the start line, you wait for the gun to start. Your friends and family wait eagerly on the stadium. Everything goes quiet. This is where you need to clear your head and focus on the first bend. You must unify yourself with the track to become one. It is important here to think of yourself and no one else because this is your race, your run, no one else. The gun shoots and you start. Sometimes there might be some hitting, and some people may start fast but you must maintain yourself and follow the strategy. As you enter the middle of the race, you know when someone is trying to push you to go faster but it is a trap. You need to breath and maintain composure. After 400m, the lactic acid starts to build up and you start to think how long until the end. You are now at the final 300 meters. then 200 meters. 150 meters. At this point, you run. It is that simple. Without strategy, without doubt. You run. In fact, at this point you don’t feel the pain, but you imagine that you are tiger chasing down another animal. It is this final 100 meters that you truly believe you are flying. Perhaps that is why my shoes are called Pegasus 38.
Even if I don’t race, simply running along the Grebna Baza at sunset or through the forest, it gives me the same happiness. To forget and to relax from the expectations at university. As a medical student, I even run to the hospital as “run commuting.” It is a good for to the environment and it is good for my mental health and self-belief. I think if more people did sport particularly running, the would be more at peace. As a runner you are never alone. My teammates Vasil and Philip have been there with me for every step. Even when we are tired, or angry, or it is raining or it is -7 degrees, they are always there, and we train and run together. But in addition are the coaches, family and friends who are also part of the team. They are the most important. To end I quote Eluid Kipchoge, the greatest marathon runner to date who said “You cannot train alone and expect to run a fast time. There is a formula: 100% of me is nothing compared to 1% of the whole team.”
Wai Ho Chui, 3rd year student of Medicine