Back to action!

Here i am again!Almost 5 years since my last post i return back still active and still full of dreams.

So ,what happened during those lasts years in Greece?I guess you all know the answer...The economic crisis and the recession,strong and brutal as never before in a western nation.

Cruel austerity measures and change of priorities. Everybody was effected,surviving was more important than sports.  Fundings were dramatically reduced and most amateur athletics clubs collapsed.

 We,the athletes ,were the real victims of this situation,the vast majority of my colleges stopped running and the level of the Greek track and field stopped to be competitive. I was a victim myself since my club wasn't able to support me anymore ,so,i had to leave the country as thousands of other Greeks nowadays.

 After 3 years working and leaving around Europe i am back to my homeland again .This time i have a great goal and i am determined to achieve it...Which one is this great goal?Coming soon in featured posts...

Beijing 2008:I reached very close ....2009?

With my 48.51 record of 2008 i reached very close to the Olympic games.The last member of the Greek 4x400 relay team ,went there with 47.90!
What could i expect from 2009?First of all i want to keep my improvement and to run less than 48.
I will achieve it ...there is no doubt about that.
31 years old and i feel as strong as never,31 years old and i am more ambitious than a 16 years old boy,31 years old and day by day i come closer and closer to my dreams...
WHAT A NICE FEELING!

My new club...GAS MESSARAS

I finally took my decision...GAS MESSARAS is going to be my new club.The club is located in the town of Moires and represents the whole Messara plain in southern Crete.
Nice people ,really interested about track and field and with vision about their club made me trust them.I feel that i have taken the right decision...

Trainings 2008-Best of

Above you can watch some of the 2007-8 season training highlights.Enjoy!

New period is about to start

A new season is about to start.A new season full of expectations but always with the same problems.I am strong as always but at the same time very tired.During the summer i had to work- an other time-3 months as a tourist guide for Spanish people in order to save some money for my winter trainings.
Probably those days i will change club.I feel very disappointed with the enormous -1000EUROS!! PER YEAR!! offer that my current club has done to me.I hope that during those 15 days-i have the right to sign for an other club from 15-31/10-i will receive some dignified offers.

From 49.07 to 48.51!

New record in the Venizelia meeting 7 June in Chania,Greece with 48,51!What a nice feeling to see that it really worths all that effort...What is next?The dash of the year...the Greek championship ,Athens 14-16 June.Keep dreaming...47,50 is coming closer and closer...

Personal best in both 200&400 meters!

First race of the year and new personal best in 200 meters with 22.00 and in 400 meters with 49.07.In the Pancretan championship i took the second place in 400 and the third place in 200.Definetelly a good start of the season but the best has not come yet...

The lonely way of a dreamer

Probably this is the most difficult period of my try.I fight all alone,i have not income at all,the help from my club does not exist at all,i am searching desperately for a sponsorship that will give me a great relief and will let me concentrate in my goal.But i know it..i was born to fight all alone,i was born to overcome obstacles..this is my destination.

On the other hand i feel extremely strong,ready to run 47 seconds and of course in the back side of my mind there is Beijing... One an a half month left until the first outdoor race and my head is about to break.Some people have all they need and some other have to suffer for the most simple thing..I belong in the second case.

7TH IN GREECE...

My first nationwide achievement took place in Paiania.I ended 7th in the indoor championship with 50.61 in the semifinals and 50.74 in the final.Really hard to run indoor,many differents and difficulties especially for me that i had never done it before.But finally i feel very happy because slowly i reach higher levels and start to become known.I keep my fight...

READY FOR THE GREEK INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP

In 23&24 of February will take place in Athens the Greek Iindoor championship.i am going to participate in 400 and 4x400 meters.I feel a little nervous about the fact that this will be my first ever indoor race.What an irony…a 30 years old rookie…Never mind…

Despite that fact,I feel very strong,very good prepared and I am convinced that I will manage to qualify for the finals.It will be a huge disappointment for me if I don’t achive it.

ABOUT ME

THE CHILDHOOD

I was born on 21-9-1977 in a tiny 300 habitants village called Prinias located in the centre of Crete,Greece ’s greatest island.I am the third and youngest child of my family.I also have 2 sisters.My 700 meters altitude village isolated from the urban centers of the island does not offer a lot of opportunities.The habitants live exclusively from the culture of olive trees dry grapes and sheeps.My familly was dedicated to the dry grapes production.Poor income for a 5 members family.

From my early yeas I realized that I had a great gift in sports.I could run faster than anyone I could jump longer I could play soccer better than anybody I was great in basketball and volleyball and until the end of highschool undeafeted in any kind of race,game,match or sport activity.But I was at the wrong place and at the wrong time…My parents could not realize the size of my talent inside their hard farm activities that I joined every afternoon just after the school.My texts and my writings were full of dreams and expectations as great as being an Olympic champion.But the lack of interests from the part of my family and the lack of sports facilities in my area had already taken the decision…Forget your dreams,you will never be a professional athlete..

THE FIRST EFFORT

At the age of 17 I left from my village in order to be better prepaired for the university entrance exams.I was settled in Heraclion the capital of the island into my sisters tiny house that a few years ago had been married.Inside the capital I had the chance to hunt my dream s for the very first time.I was choosen into OFI CRETE youths a first division professional soccer team and considered as a unique and rarely showen talent.At the same time as I was preparing gor the sports academy of Athens I had to practice some track events such as 100,400 meters long jump and shot put.I could easily play a 90 minutes soccer game and 1 hour after run a 10.90 in 100m or have a 7 meters jump .It was the first time in my life that I understood the meaning of the word happiness…but unfortunately this was not going to last for a long…It was Saturday afternoon when after a morning football game I had a track meeting.I runed 11.10 in 100 meters and minutes after I was prepairing for my first long jump attempt.I did my effort…and the end had come…fallen into the sand and with great pain int my back I was waiting the ambulance and I was saying goodbye to my dreams.The diagnosis?my disk had been moved…. I Spend 3 months on a handicapped chair and I finally avoided the surgery.But the doctors were clear..you will never be able again to practice any sport,that could mean permanent disability..i was shocked..inside my 18 old teen soul my life was fallen…

THE STUDIES

It was tough for me to accept that and to change totally my orientation but I had to do it.So I left from my island in 1996 and I went to study sports administration,firstly in Athens and then in Barcelona,Spain.During all those years I had to work really hard and study at the same time.I did everything…I worked as a carpets seller,as a security guard,as a waiter,as a soft drinks seller in the beaches of Barcelona,in many night clubs,in the fruits collection and much more…but I finally did it.Ι became fluent in English,Spanish,Italian,Portuguese and I returned to Greece ready for a good carrear.

THE RETURN TO GREECE

A few months before the Athens 2004 olympic games I returned to my homeland.It was not difficult for me to find a good and well paid job.I became the tourist representative of a giant Spanish company.The salary was good the conditions too,so I was satisfied.

THE GREAT IMPACT

It was August of 2004.I was waiting some clients at the airport of Heraclion while the olympic games wereabout to begin.The flight had a long delay so I watched the whole ceremony from the airport.I saw the greek flag entering first as always into the stadium,I saw the happiness of all the participants athletes of all those wellknown and less known nations and something changed inside my heart.What was I doing in a croweded airports waiting for some old VIP clients at the age of my sport edge?This is what I deserve?this is what I was dreaming of?The decision was easy…I will do my step…

THE BEGINNING

In Octomber 2004 I first entered in the stadium . I was 27 yers old and I was shamed to ask from some trainer to assume me .What could I say?hello I am 27 I have no experience in track ,I want to start now and in 2 -3 years become a professionall athlete.You can imagine the answer…So I started training on my own with the help and supervision of a good friend of me and ex runner.In May 2005 I did my first race.22.92 in 200 meters.One month later I did one more,23.05.

THE SECOND AND THIRD YEAR

In 2006 I kept training on my own and I had a huge development to 22.20 from 22.92 last year.In 2006 I had my first participation in a national championship and my fisrt international participation in Vardinodianneia meeting.In 2007 a started training with a professional coach in OFI team.I had great expectations but unfortunatelly because of injures and others factors I did 22.23.At the end of the season I decided to try 400 meters and I did an easy -without preparation -49.47.

THE PRESENT

After the 49.47 in my first ever race I decided to t practice exclusively 400 meters.There is no doubt that 400 meters suits me better.I still have the enthusiasm og a teenager and the mental stability of my 30 years.Will I be able to run 47.60-48?I think I can…

THE FUTURE

I have already sacrifice,a lot of things.I left my job,every year i work 2-3 months just to be able to live and keep training the rest 9-10.I have no sponsors,I have no other incomes,my club does not pay me or any other athlete.Profesionaly I have no development,I oftenly fight with my family about my decision.

Sometimes I am wondering if all this is really worthing…The answer is easy…I have no right against my childhood to abandone my dreams.I have started to live the experience of a professional athlete-it doesn’t matter the level-and I will fight until the end to be improved and get to higher levels.

Obvsiously there is a problem …my age that surroundes me every day.At the moment I am the winner of the fight between me and the time..At the near future?Keep watching my blog…