BABEK Tomas

General
TOKYO MOTIVATION
In 2021 his brother unexpectedly passed away. He says his brother will be his main motivation at the postponed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and that he aims to win a medal in his honour. "The subject is still extremely painful for me. The whole society works by stifling death. It's like it doesn't exist. We live as if we were here forever. My brother and I were texting that tragic day, thinking we should see each other. But he had an appointment, so we postponed it. He was a huge fan of me. After winning the King of Cycling poll, he texted me that he was watching the broadcast and was proud of me. Then we sent some jokes, and then there was this terrible accident. I'm going to Tokyo to get my brother [a medal]. I don't want to disappoint him, even though I know he'd be proud of me just for going. My aim is to get a medal for my brother. I'm going into battle with the fact that I can fall, but that's not going to stop me." (sport.cz, 01 Jun 2021)

CAR CRASH
In April 2011 he was knocked down by a car in Brno, Czech Republic, and nearly died. He suffered multiple injuries, lost 1.5 litres of blood, spent three days in a coma and doctors gave him little hope of surviving. However, after three months he sat on his bicycle again and within a year he returned to racing. "I don't remember. Even though they told me I communicated with them after I was resuscitated, I don't even remember the car crash. I only remember the flash I woke up to between surgeries the next day at the hospital. Then I didn't start to feel it all until a few days later. So the impact itself and what happened immediately after it was erased. Every time something like this happens to you, you have a choice - either let it get to you or start fighting it, overcoming it and becoming stronger. It took me a while. For one thing, I had to deal with it, I tried to understand the whole thing, and when I got back from the hospital and I wanted to go on my bike, there was another heavy blow. It just didn't work. I couldn't go back to my original performance. And my body still carries the consequences to this day, I'm missing a piece of muscle on my thigh. But even so, one can become stronger. I really believe that everything bad is good for something. The accident changed my view of the world, changed my values. When something really bad happens to a person, sooner or later something good emerges." (brnensky.denik.cz, 27 Feb 2013; sport.cz, 01 Jun 2021; reportermagazin.cz, 12 Aug 2020)