Hungarian Olympic champion fencer Ildikó Rejtő was born on this date 1939, in Budapest. She was born deaf, and had scoliosis as a tennager. Her father to enrolled her in fencing lessons at 15 to help straighten her back. Being deaf, she learned fencing through written instructions from her coaches. She won championships before turning 20, and she was the Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year in 1963 and 1964. She represented Hungary in every Olympics from 1960 to 1976 and won seven Olympic medals. At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal at the age of 39, she won a team bronze medal in women's foil. She continued to win competitions into her 60s. Why did a champion fencer from Hungary catch my eye today? Because Hungary has been on my mind since their elections, a victory of democracy over an entrenched authoritarian leader. I consider that a hopeful sign, so I thought a Hungarian life-long champion would be a good person to recognize on today's ride! Credit: https://w.wiki/N9nv Image: https://w.wiki/N9ns Public Domain Just a short spin today, up the coast and back, preparing for the Climate Ride this weekend. Today I rode my gravel bike, mostly because I haven't moved the Brooks saddle back to the road bike. I'll probably move the saddle tomorrow, so I can spin on the road bike this and ride it on the Climate Ride 98-mile route on Saturday. The weather was perfect for this ride, overcast and cool, and relatively light wind on PCH. The sun came out just as I finished.