Kalos Kagathos (English)
Z Historia Wisły
Kalos Kagathos
Kalos Kagathos Medal has been awarded annually since 1985 by the Tempo editorial team and Jagiellonian University to outstanding athletes who have achieved success beyond sports. The decision is made by a seven-member committee chaired by the rector of Jagiellonian University. One of the recipients of the medal is Jerzy Jurowicz.
Beautiful and Good October 12, 2009
Kalos kagathos – in ancient Greece, these words represented the ideal of education. They described a person distinguished by a harmonious fullness of soul and body virtues, selflessly dedicating their strengths to the country and society, characterized by virtue and moderation. Literally translated, it meant a person who is beautiful and good.
Last Friday in Krakow, during the ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of the Polish Olympic Committee, we witnessed many interesting events. One of them was the presentation of the Kalos Kagathos Medal – an award given cyclically for over thirty years to Polish athletes who, after the end of their competitive careers, have reached new heights in their social and professional lives. This time, among the distinguished seven were two members of Wisła.
Halina Helena Oszast, née Łaptaś, joined the Wisła Kraków athletics section in 1946. She later played volleyball for a while before eventually choosing basketball. This last choice proved to be very successful. Mrs. Halina stood on the podium of the Polish championships four times with the Biała Gwiazda team, winning the title of vice-champion of the country in 1952. She played 14 times for the Polish national team. True to her Wisła roots, after ending her sports career, she remained loyal to Biała Gwiazda, working in the club as a youth team coach and manager of the first women's basketball team. She used her extensive sports experience in academic work, earning a master’s degree, then a doctorate, and later an assistant professorship at the Krakow Academy of Physical Education. She published numerous articles on basketball and was for a long time the head of the Basketball Department. She is an honorary member of TS Wisła.
Andrzej Łędzki was a trainee of Korona Kraków. He played for Biała Gwiazda for six seasons, winning the Polish championship with them in 1968. He appeared 19 times for the Polish national team. While playing at the highest level of basketball, he concurrently studied at the AGH University of Science and Technology. After completing his studies, he began an academic career, earning the title of professor habilitatus. He is a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, a former vice-rector, and the current head of the Department of Iron Alloys Metallurgy at AGH.
The awarding of the Kalos Kagathos Medals was not the only Wisła-related highlight of Friday’s celebrations. The procession carrying the PKOl. flag included two distinguished Wisła volleyball players, Olympic bronze medalists Józefa Ledwig and Elżbieta Porzec-Nowak. During the symbolic lighting of the Olympic torch at the Main Market Square, a sort of passing of the Olympic baton from generation to generation took place. This ceremony was conducted by 8-year-old Wisła gymnast Wanda Drelicharz, standing on the shoulders of Beijing Games champion Leszek Blanik. May this be the first step for little Wanda towards honor and glory, to success in sports and in life beyond sports, to becoming a kalos kagathos.
