January 7 is a significant Orthodox name day for those with the name associated with Ioannis, and it was on this day the village of Pellana Laconia (home of ancient Mycenaeans, and later Lacedaimon – the Spartans) hosted an ultra-marathon runner, Yiannis Kouros.
Speeches, awards and the exchange of gifts followed by representatives of the new Sparta Municipal Authority and the president of the community of Pellana, Vasos Sigalou.
He was invited on behalf of the village by the Guardians of the Hellenic ANZAC Memorial, HANZAC – (ΧΑΝΖΑΚ). The memorial is dedicated to Hellenes, Australians and New Zealanders who gave their lives during WWII in Greece against the Nazi and Axis oppressors.
The Hellenic ANZAC Memorial was built by Australian veterans with the support of the locals in the Northern villages: the memorial was officially opened in 2017.
Kouros, a unique hero
Kouros has broken more than 160 world records, all unbroken.
Kouros’ feats include the 1984, 320 km, three-day road race in Austria in the same year, the six-day record of 1,002 km in the New York ultra-marathon, and the 1985, in the Australian Westfield Sydney to Melbourne race of about 875 km, Kouros beat the record by ten hours. As he entered Melbourne through Coburb, Greek Australians lined the streets for kilometres, signing out his name, ‘Kouros, Kouros’, as bouzouki music played out from loudspeakers.
Kouros’ ultra-Marathon accomplishments have earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records and great respect from Hellenes, no less the people of Pellana who hosted him.
Kouros – an honoured guest
Upon Kouros’s arrival, Vaso Sigalou, the village’s first female president, welcomed Kouros and his friend, the World Weightlifting Champion champion Giorgos Tzelilis.
After the welcome and introductions were completed, Kouros was invited on a tour of the HANZAC Memorial and surprised with a marble plaque erected at the rear of the memorial, where an inspiration wall is located.
Kouros was invited to plant an olive tree in his honour close to the Inspiration Wall; the olive tree symbolises courage and resilience.
The inclement weather impacted on the event, and as it began to rain heavily, everyone returned to the cottage for additional presentations and light refreshments.
Sigalou then presented Kouros with a marble plaque of the HANZAC Memorial. This was followed by a plaque presentation to Vaso Sigalou as the first woman president, from former Australian Army serviceman, Maurice Barwick and me. Sigalou was moved, for she had not expected this, only seven days into her Presidency.
A second plaque was presented to Kostas Sgourdas (Master Stone Mason). Kostas and his son Stefanos contributed to the HANZAC Memorial.
At the end of the presentations, Kouros took the stand and spoke about being surprised by the honour he had received from the village of Pellana. He received thunderous applause from all present as well wishes for his name day. Afterwards, guests were provided with a Spartan banquet by Dina Sigalo, who is the manager of the local tavern.
Once guests returned home, Kouros and his friends the champion weightlifter Giorgos Tzelilis and Nick Bakis remained behind. We spoke of the past, of mutual friends, the late- Bishop Kourtessis and Kostas Mihalopoulos, the local ultra-marathon runner, of family, life experiences, the challenges faced, and of the future.
A personal view
I was unsure what to expect; we do not often meet individuals who have contributed much to the world of sport and are a testament to humankind’s tenacity, resilience and courage.
During our discussions, I realised that I was not only an ultra-marathon runner but a philosophy student, a poet and a painter. Kouros took an interest in everyone’s views. His only regret on the day was that he could not answer the numerous callers who wanted to wish him a Happy Name Day.
He did not expect to receive the honour of being seen as an inspiration, nor that the village of Pellana had erected a plaque to commemorate his achievements. Kouros is a sincere and compassionate person. As a practical man (not an easy person at the best of times), I am not influenced by the status of others; however, in the case of Kouros, I was impressed.
*Peter Adamis a regular contributor to Neos Kosmos, is a retired Australian ex-military serviceman of 30 years’ experience who upon leaving the Armed Forces he is also a keen researcher into the ancient world, with emphasis on the Mycenaeans and the Sea Peoples.
