The confectionary splendor included the Olympic rings, the Eiffel Tower and a gold medal. “And where are the others? Silver and bronze?” asked someone. David soon made up for it when he showed off his truly fantastic medal collection hanging around his neck – gold in the 400 freestyle, silver in the 100 breaststroke and bronze in the two hundred meter medley.
“Finally at home,” David Kratochvíl told Novinkám. “It’s great, I was surprised that almost all of Halža is here. Amazing. I am very happy that I could represent my Halža. That I can live here.”
“You are great,” he turned to his neighbors, acquaintances, male friends, about one hundred and fifty of them came to the square in front of the local cultural center. “It’s divine, because you did it without any preparation, I didn’t know it at all. And the cake is a great gift, I finally get to eat. I love sweets,” he revealed.
Photo: Ivan Blažek
A sweet reward
Locals cheered him on the big screen during the Paralympic competitions. “I knew about it, my father reported to me everything that was happening here. To know that people support you like this, that they think of you, is very nice.”
Now the swimmer is waiting for a three-week break. “I will have 100% free time for a week, I have to give myself some rest. That’s what the coach told me, so I have to listen to him. Even if I run, I’ll definitely do it,” stated David.
Super boy
In addition to the cake modified so that David could touch it without fear, he received a letter from the municipality in Braille. About what? “That is not said. What a fighter he is,” at least hinted the deputy mayor Kateřina Škrabalová.
Viktorie Hotová was not missing from the waiting crowd: “Our families are friends, we grew up together.” What is he like? “A great boy. And terribly gifted. Not just for swimming, for everything. He can play the piano, the accordion, he plays chess competitively, he knows languages. And yet he is so modest. Before he left for the Paralympics, I tried to raise his self-confidence. That everyone here is cheering him on. Well, I guess it worked,” she said with a smile.
It’s ours. Our Halžák
The words about modesty were also confirmed by another local, Marie Peroutková: “That’s him. A humble village boy. The whole family is like that, they don’t need fancy things to live. Modesty is in them, and a medal won’t change that.”
Photo: Ivan Blažek
Finally home
Kateřina Vlková also came to watch: “I really admire David. He exudes amazing energy, enthusiasm. We have a lot to learn from him.”
The car with David was accompanied by a fire truck. “To make the return a bit pompous,” laughed Josef Pýcha from the local choir. “We’ve only spoken a few times in person. But I see him as someone who really accomplished something. We keep our fingers crossed for him. And we wish him that. And we’re glad it’s from us.”
Simply the oldest native, already at sixteen years old? Mayor František Čurka is clear about this: “It is difficult for anyone to surpass him. In any field. Although he swims competitively in Tachov, he is ours. It’s Halžák.”
He lost his sight due to cancer, now the blind swimmer from Tachovsk is conquering the sports world
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