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Future Hall of Famer siblings left shocked by nomination

January 12, 2023   ·   0 Comments

Last year, teenagers Csenge (Chen-ga) and Blanka Lodi received an unusual phone call.

It was the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame on the other line. Perplexed and confused after picking up the line, it was all for a surprising reason that left both sisters gobsmacked.

“When we heard, me and Blanka just looked at each other like ‘What?’ We didn’t realize what we were doing,” Csenge and Blanka told The Auroran.

“We didn’t realize it was a thing. It was a shock. Our teachers Mr. Dajia, one of our track coaches at school, he was the connection. We were introduced to the Future Hall of Famers program and then I guess we were nominated. We were just in shock. I didn’t even know we got nominated.”

The Future Hall of Famers program recognizes up-and-coming local athletes who might one day find themselves in the Hall.

Both girls currently excel in track and field. Csenge graduated at Cardinal Carter as MVP of the track team last year, and received a USport scholarship to the University of Guelph. Blanka is still in high school and is currently aiming to receive a scholarship to the exact same school.

Bonded by track and field throughout their entire life, it is quite a humorous anecdote as to how these girls initially began in the sport.

Born to Hungarian parents, their father was a pro rower and their mother was formally a hurdler. With sport simply ingrained in their DNA, the Lodis were thrown into all kinds of team sports and simply stumbled on track and field.

“When we were younger, our mom randomly signed us up for a track team. Then we tried it and then after I didn’t want to do it at all. It was so hard and I hated it and my mom was like ‘you’re going to go,’” the sisters recalled, laughing at the memory.

“Me and my sister, it was a bit new for us. We played a lot of team sports whereas track and field is an independent sport. It was a little tough. We just had to get used to the training styles and the new environment. As the weeks kept going, we both kept showing up we just kind of both fell in love with it. It’s part of us now.”

In love with the grind since seven- and eight-years-old respectively, the Lodis joined the Flying Angels Track & Field Club and have been there ever since.

They have been molded by some of the finest coaches around and have found successes that have brought them both to new heights.

Both girls have travelled to the United States for track meets, coming up against unheralded competition. They have also been to Nova Scotia for a track meet, to compete for more medals to hang up in their closets.

Was there adversity? Absolutely. Was there hardship? Surely. Was there a sweet reward in knowing the girls were going to take this sport and go somewhere in it? You bet.

Csenge is currently studying kinetics and would like to become a physiotherapist someday whereas Blanka, is still undecided on what to do. But what both girls aspire to do one day is to become more involved in track and field with the local community and give back to the game. They also want to provide more awareness in the future with clinics to further expose the competition.

But now – humbled and honoured to even be a part of the Future Hall of Famers program with the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame – the goal and the direction could not be clearer. Go as far as track and field will take them, give more to the community, and become a part of the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame permanently.

By Robert Belardi



         

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