Young athletes celebrate the launch of 'A Magical Athletics Journey' (© Laszlo Zsigmond)
A Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) comic book has been launched at the MOWA Heritage Exhibition Budapest 2023 to mark Kids’ Athletics Day (7 May).
Attending the publication event was Hungary’s 24-year-old middle distance talent Lili Anna Vindics-Toth and a large group of young aspiring local athletes who participated in Kids’ Athletics activities and competitions inside the exhibition hall.
The teenage participants were members of four local athletics clubs: Alba Regia Atletikai Klub, Budapesti Honved Sportegyesulet, Ferencvarosi Torna Club and Viadukt SE Atletika.
The comic book A Magical Athletics Journey (paperback, 20cm x 27cm, 56pp) has been written and colourfully illustrated by a young Lebanese athlete, Christel Saneh. Designed with children aged 10 to 14 in mind, the comic book offers a fun and accessible entry into the history of athletics.
The comic follows the story of a young boy and girl, Joey and Florence – one living in America and the other in Africa. They share their personal experiences as athletics fans and aspiring athletes, and recall their magical journey inside the 3D virtual Museum of World Athletics.
Click here to read A Magical Athletics Journey as a free-to-view ebook, or click here for a PDF download
"You might be an athletics fan, an athlete, or someone who has found interest in this sport. This book is made for you," Saneh invites her readers. "It is a fictional story about two young people, that go on a magical experience when they enter MOWA.
"You might already know some of the athletes in there. If not, you will learn more about them. They are the building blocks of the sport, they pushed the limits of the human body and helped the ones after them push the limits even higher.
"This adventure through MOWA will hopefully inspire you," Saneh adds. "If not, you will still learn something from it. Most importantly, we hope you will simply enjoy the read."
Saneh is an active athlete who holds the Lebanese long jump record (5.87m, 2021). Following a freelance career that flourished combining her graphics skills and her passion for sports and journalism, Saneh recently joined World Athletics as a full-time graphic designer and video editor.
WCH Budapest 2023 tickets won
Vindics-Toth, the 2013 European Youth Olympics Festival winner and 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist in the steeplechase and the 2017 European U20 Cross Country Championships silver medallist, very kindly spent her Sunday morning helping to encourage and inspire the teenage athletes.
Lili Anna Vindics-Toth with a copy of A Magical Athletics Journey (© Laszlo Zsigmond)
The group took part in speed and vertical jumping activities on the floor next to the Kids’ Athletics display in the exhibition hall and searched for clues around the rest of the exhibits to complete a MOWA Treasure Hunt.
With tickets for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 on offer as prizes for those completing the treasure hunt, the pace set by the teenagers, who were split into teams of two, was fast and furious throughout the hunt.
As well as the tickets, participants received a copy of the MOWA comic book, a MOWA t-shirt and a goodie bag.
Celebrating 40 years of the World Athletics Championships
The MOWA Heritage Athletics Exhibition Budapest 2023 is the world’s largest ever display of athletics competition clothing, shoes, equipment and trophies donated by many of the greatest athletes in our sport's history. The exhibition is enriched by historic Hungarian athletics artefacts that have never been publicly displayed before.
The spectacular exhibition celebrates the 40th anniversary of the World Athletics Championships, the first edition of which took place in Helsinki, Finland, in 1983, and showcases the history of Hungarian athletics.
The MOWA Heritage Athletics Exhibition Budapest 2023 is located on the 3rd Floor of Etele Plaza, which is Budapest’s newest shopping centre. Address: Budapest, Hadak utja 1, 1119 Hungary.
The exhibition, which is open from 11am to 7pm each day until 27 August, is free to enter and offers visitors interactive physical and virtual displays, athletics videos, competitions and prizes.
Chris Turner for World Athletics Heritage
