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RokDraksic
NATIONALITY:
SLOVENIAN
SPORT:
JUDO
AGE:
29
Draksic foundhis sportbychanceafter
champion judokaMarjanFabjan started
tocoachathis school. “Asachild Iwas
very impulsive, Ihave toomuchenergy
and judowasperfect formeat that age,”
he says.NowcoachedbySlovenian
legendand two-timeOlympicmedallist
UrskaZolnir,Draksic isaiming to tophis
best sportingachievement–becoming
Europeanchampion in2013.Whenhe’s
not training, he’sanavid reader. “It’s
common forme to readaround40 to50
bookseveryyear,” saysDraksic.
Try judo inSlovenia:
“Come tomy
club, Z’dezeleSankaku inCelje,” says
Draksic,whereprofessionals teach those
of all abilities, and foreignersarevery
welcome.
sankaku-klub.si
ErikVlcek
NATIONALITY:
SLOVAKIAN
SPORT:
KAYAKING
AGE:
34
“Incredibly,myhomecityofKomárno
hasproduced sevenworldchampions,”
explainsVlcek,who tookupkayakingas
a sportwhenhewaseight yearsold.
“Ihada lotof energywhen Iwasakid,
somyparentsdecided Ineededanoutlet
for it.”Growingupnext to themighty
DanubeRiverhas ledhim towin two
Olympicmedals in thekayak four 1000m
discipline (bronze inAthensand silver in
Beijing). “When I’mouton thewater I feel
free,” saysVlcek, adding that there’sno
betterplace to learn thanhishometown.
Where to try kayaking inCroatia:
Rentkayaksorgoonkayak tours in
Komárno, anhourand30minutes from
Bratislava,where theVahandDanube
meet. “Youcan find thebest facilities in
themiddleofEurope,”explainsVlcek.
kajakkomarno.sk
WizzAir flies to all of the athletes’
home nations. Book flights toPrague,
Riga, Vilnius andmore at
wizzair.com
SnjezanaPejcic
NATIONALITY:
CROATIAN
SPORT:
SHOOTING
AGE:
33
“Theenergy is something special at the
Olympics,”explainsPejcic,whoclaimed
bronze inBeijing in2008. “On theone
hand I’m reallynervous, buton theother
I can’twait forRio,” sheexplains. She
first shot agunduringaprimaryschool
trip toa shooting range inRijeka, but
didn’t take to it.A friendhad toconvince
her togoback the followingday–and
she’sglad shedid.Going forgold this
summerwill be theultimate rush,
explainsPejcic. “There’snocompetition
like theOlympicGames,” sheadds.
Where to try shooting inCroatia:
Pejcic trains inOsijekat thePampas
shooting range,which ishome toGSD
Osijek1784.The rangeandclubclaims
tobe theoldest sports society inCroatia.
Visitorscan tryair rifle shooting,with
various targetdistancesavailable. “Stop
byand shoot acoupleof rounds,”Pejcic
says, adding that you shouldbook in
advance.
osijek1784.hr
REUTERS; ALAMY; GETTY
