11th March 2010 03:29
In the 11th in a series of profiles of the national winners of the inaugural Women's Leadership Awards, European Athletics speaks to Lithuania's Zita Tindziuliene.
Tindziuliene demonstrated tremendous promise from the start of her sport career as an athlete. She won a number of medals in a range of age group meetings and went on to become a national champion. However some bad luck outside the sport cut her athletic career short.
Her deep passion for athletics, though, kept her connected to the sport as a judge for national and international competitions.
Tindziuliene has been able to share her proud association with the sport with those who matter the most to her - her family.
Her husband is a Pentathlon coach with a great track record, while her two sons, currently university students, are both athletes.
'All my family members actively participate in various sports activities in a range of capacities. Be it the role of a judge, coach or an athlete - it all runs in the family,' said Tindziuliene.
Tindziuliene is a strong advocate of the value of mass participation in sport and the positive effects it has on the society at large.
'In the 21st century sport has a big role to play - beyond the commercial aspects. The benefits of sports percolate right down to the basis of human existence - good health and healthy lifestyle. This highlights the need to involve more people in the sport which can be achieved only through offering an equal opportunity for all to participate,' said Tindziuliene.
At a personal level athletics serves as a constant source of inspiration for Tindziuliene.
'My personal inspiration on the sports side is the wish to keep the body strong, healthy and esthetic. I also feel that sport boosts self-confidence and mental strength.'
Tindziuliene has been witness to the positive impact of athletics on her own life and well understands the influence sport can have.
She is currently the deputy director of an athletics school in Vilnius, Lithuania. In addition, Tindziuliene volunteers at several athletics meetings in a number of capacities. She is also the head coach of national youth athletics, and a member of the executive committee and council of the Athletic Federation of Lithuania.
Although athletics has been a source of satisfaction in her life, she hopes to see improvements in the future.
In her own country, she sees two main areas of concern - facilities and youth.
'In Lithuania the main concern in our sport is the lack of proper facilities coupled with limited focus on children, and youth occupation in sports is not sufficient,' Tindziuliene said.
When asked about the position of women in athletics today, Tindziuliene sees a lot of scope for further progress.
'Nowadays women take part in almost all sports that men do, but we still face situations where female athletes are lacking self motivation, determination and support largely due to societal attitude towards them. This issue has mostly to do with cultural norms and old traditions. Time will tell when this psychological barrier will be brought down,' Tindziuliene said.
Winning this award will serve only to increase her motivation to continue giving back to the sport as she has for over three decades.