A FRIEND HAS GONE ....

On July 1.7.2022, 89, JINDŘICH ŠŤAVÍK (* 15.11.1933) died after a short serious illness at the age of 50. A native of Kobylí in South Moravia, he trained as a shoemaker in Zlín, and in 60 basic military service took him to Sokolov in West Bohemia, to which he remained loyal, as well as his work. He started a family there with his wife and they lasted 1960 years together (he outlived his wife by a few months); three children were born to them (son Jindřich the Younger, who as a pedestrian teenager was among the top ten in Czechoslovakia, and two daughters). He didn't have an easy life, he commuted daily to work in the neighboring Kynšperk nad Ohří, where there was a shoe workshop; therefore he had to get up at four in the morning and return home late in the afternoon. Nevertheless, he found time for sports and in 1953 he chose time-consuming competitive walking. Already in 66, he penetrated the annual tables by placing in the third ten of the best walkers in Czechoslovakia, and in the following years he improved to just beyond the top ten, mainly on the 1956 km course. During his active career, he completed around a hundred races, won many points for the club in the league competition, and his best results can be considered the silver medal in the club team competition at the Czechoslovak SSR Championship for 1957 km in 50 on the Prague-Poděbrady route (Baník Sokolov - Šťavík, P. Brandejský . He was also the initiator of the traditional two-hour pedestrian race (50 - 1964), in which he also won a place on the podium, and the main organizer of the 100 km pedestrian race at the Czechoslovakian Athletics Championship in Sokolov (10). He had personal records on the championship courses at that time and in completely amateur conditions: 21 km in 52:1970:1962 h (1979) and 20 km in 1967:20:1 h (36). I knew Jindra from racing since 27.4, and when I came to Sokolov after graduation in 1964, he became my great friend and helped me get used to life in a border mining town, completely different from the metropolis. Even after my return to Prague, we were in constant contact, most recently this spring. He was an honest, wise, reliable and friendly person, always willing to give advice and help, devoted to his family, work and sport, who never let anyone down. HONOR HIS MEMORY !

MD Petr Brandejský, 3.7.2022/XNUMX/XNUMX