“It’s the Journey that Counts”

There is a special energy about András Fodor. Even at seventy-five, he speaks as if he were running, laughing heartily, and making new plans all at once. In the blink of an eye, he shifts from a deep personal confession to a lively retelling of a story, then back to philosophical musings. You can’t get bored around him. He himself never does. He speaks of life as if he were standing at the starting line right now: with a sweeping momentum, sparkling eyes, gesturing, leaping from one story to the next. He laughs, quotes, reminisces, and in the process fills the room with an energy that many thirty-somethings would envy.

Yet his story actually began with a very harsh realization.

– he says with complete naturalness.

He doesn’t make excuses for himself. He drank heavily, smoked, and was driven by some inner restlessness. By the time he was forty, however, he saw clearly: if he didn’t change, he would lose himself. In 1989, he contacted his old army buddy, coach Ferenc Barnaki, and asked him to train him for Ibusz Marathon.

At the time, he could not have known that this decision would not be a simple change, but the beginning of a new life.

He spent a whole year preparing for his first marathon. Disciplined and obsessed. And when he crossed the finish line with a time of 3 hours and 18 minutes, in 185th place, something changed within him for good.

Back then, Népsport still published the names of everyone who crossed the finish line. His name, too. And he still looks back on that with childlike pride.

Because it was there, in that moment, that he truly felt for the first time: “I am someone, too.” Looking back, he can clearly see how strong his need to fit in was. He grew up with two older brothers, and for a long time he felt he had to prove himself. He wanted recognition. He wanted to be important. At first, sports were partly about that. But in the meantime, something else happened. Running literally picked him up off the floor.

Moreover, András Fodor didn’t just want to escape his problems; he wanted to understand them. He recognized his own addiction, so he completed the basic addiction studies program at Semmelweis University to better understand where these compulsions come from and what happens inside a person when they lose control. Because for him, the addiction didn’t disappear. It just transformed.

Sports became his new passion. And what a passion it became. In 1992, he competed in his first triathlon in Mosonmagyaróvár: a 1,500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride, and a 10-kilometer run. He finished last.

But that was exactly what he needed: the search for limits, the struggle against himself.

That same year, he founded Veszprém Triathlon Association (VTE), the community that would later become one of the region’s leading sports organizations. He also tells the story of how it grew out of a group of friends: József Gőndör, Károly Gyimesi, István Csalagovits, Péter Zsebe— runners who trained together, competed together, and experienced a truly special era together. They completed the Vienna–Budapest Super Marathon together nine times.

– he recalls.

Then came Nagyatád. In 1997, he completed his first Ironman race in 12 hours and 40 minutes. For many people, that would have been a lifetime achievement. For him, it wasn’t enough. He returned eight more times. His best time was 11 hours and 15 minutes; in his age group, he placed first once and third once. But anyone who listens to him quickly realizes: it’s not the medals that really interest him. It’s much more the journey he’s been on along the way.

Meanwhile, he began to devote more and more time to helping others. For two years, he worked at a therapeutic institute in Szőcs to get closer to the people who are battling the same demons he once did. He wanted to help. And in the meantime, he “sowed new seeds.”

His favorite thought comes from Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi: “My sweet Jesus, I believe that the seed sown will yield a bountiful harvest.” In other words, one often does not know where the seed one sows will fall on good soil. András Fodor has been doing this his entire life.

He has not only played sports, but also built community and organized competitions. Nearly forty of them. In Tihany, Kápálantóti, and Balatonfüred, he organized European Cups, national championships, and events both large and small.

Ábrahámhegy Triathlon is particularly important to him. He has organized it eleven times, and it featured a special category: families could compete together, for example, a father with his son or grandson. 

His family is still athletic today. He has competed alongside his son, Csaba, in several races. His son has remained an avid runner and has already completed several marathons with his wife. His daughter, Kriszti, lives in Luxembourg, and his grandchildren practice jiu-jitsu. As for his son-in-law, he once said to him—half-jokingly—

- His son-in-law really did run the race in 2006. And he won his daughter's hand.

András Fodor now sees life differently. His desire to prove himself has gradually given way to a sense of calm. He says that at the age of seventy, he truly understood that it is not the destination that matters, but the journey itself.

He says that one must be able to rejoice in waking up in the morning. That they have a body that still carries them forward. That they can keep going. And when he talks about this, one suddenly understands: András Fodor has not, in fact, raced against time his entire life. But against his own weaknesses. That is why his presence is still so powerful even now.

He is currently hiking the Blue Trail along the Danube, with a hundred kilometers still to go. While hiking, he recites poems, chants mantras, and prays. He also practices yoga. He remains a restless soul, though the fire within him now burns more quietly.

He completed his final triathlon in Ajka. Just as in his first triathlon, he finished last there as well. He found this truly symbolic.

– he says. – But it was a triumphant march after all.

Perhaps because by then he knew exactly: life is not something to be conquered. But rather, to live it to the fullest with all one’s heart.

Author: Ferenc Sirály