EYOF Stars #5 – Viola Hambidge

The European Youth Olympic Festival is less than three months away. Many athletes have already met the qualification limits and are preparing for the biggest event of their sporting career. One of them is Estonian athlete Viola Hambidge.

The Estonian middle-distance runner will celebrate her 16th birthday on 15th of July. She will be one of the biggest title aspirants, because Viola holds the Estonian U18 800m record with a time of 2:14.53. In addition, she also broke the historical best in the 1500m steeplechase, this time in the U16 category with a time of 5:18.00. Her other major achievements include the title at the U18 Baltic Indoor Championships in the 800 and 1500m. Viola is also involved in multi-events and has been very successful. This year, she won the team pentathlon at the Baltic Championships.

What it means for Viola to compete at EYOF?

This is my first bigger competition and it is a big honor to represent my country at EYOF. It will be a first time challenge for me to compete along with other best European athletes. I want to see what I am capable of and push my limits further.

Who is her greatest sports role model?

My greatest role model has been Zola Budd who was a South African middle-distance and long-distance runner. She had the 5000m world record in 1984 and she was just 17 years old at the time. Budd’s career was unusual in that she mainly trained and raced barefoot.

What the values of Olympism and fair play mean to Viola?

The values of Olympism and fair play for me is to respect other athletes, judges and fans. Friendship with my team and competitors and  sport without doping. Respect for written and unwritten rules such as integrity, tolerance, care and joy.

What is her greatest sporting success to date?

I am proud that i got recognition as U16 Young athlete of the year in 2021 Estonia. My results in 2022 have improved so much that i have been chosen to take part to EYOF 2022