22.3.2019

The Story of Květa Jeriová Pecková: What’s your problem, prima donna!

In the early 70’, when I started with cross-country skiing, the popularity of long races grew rapidly. Jizerska 50 was one of the best known races and it was the most attractive especially for recreational skiers.

However, Czechoslovakian female champions were only seldom seen at the starting line. It wasn’t easy to find a free date in the schedule of international races.

I remember the year 1978, anniversary, the tenth year, especially well. The Peak Sports Centre of the Ministry of Interior - Rudá hvězda (the Red Star) was created just recently and most champions were preparing within it. The management suddenly got the idea, that all best skiers must participate in the race. No exceptions! The directive came from the top, directly from the then Minister of Interior Josef Jung. He was the patron of the tenth year and he also started the race. He simply wanted to see the Rudá hvězda skiers to win on the track.

On the date of the race we were polishing our condition at Štrbské Pleso, but comrade minister saw no problem in the combination of our preparation in Slovakia and the race in Jizerské mountains. He sent an air plane for us to Tatra mountains!

But I had other problems: I had a pretty bad toothache. Two days before the race it was extracted, but the problem did not stop there. The pain continued and it was getting more severe by the day. Nothing helped, I could not even sleep at night. My coach insisted I have to participate.

May be that is why I don’t remember much of the race. Strong pills shut the pain down slightly, but it also shut me down and I couldn’t concentrate on my performance.

At the end of Hrabětická meadow, where the starting line was back then, we caught up with the slowest men. We were stumbling in the criss-cross of tracks and trees with no end, we stomped on each other’s skis and tried to get out of the bunch of people as fast as possible.

Later, when the male part of the race split, there was a bunch of women in front of me. Even though there were three tracks, all were packed solid. I asked myself, which one should I pick. I tried to ask nicely for a free track, as is the custom in races, but all I got was a snarl: “What’s your problem, prima donna?”

I had to run around the skiers through the deep snow. For the rest of the race I have not seen a familiar face, my team mates were far in front of me. After several hours of suffering I reached the Finish, I curled up with my pain and closed my eyes. I couldn’t care less about my position or the winner.

The day after the race, back in Tatra mountains, it was the dentist’s office again. A stub of the tooth was left in the wound, it became inflamed and caused the strong pain. The periosteum was infected too and I had to treat it for another two weeks.

But I held no grudge for the Jizerska 50. However, my racing schedule in the following years prevented me from participating, even though I was good at skiing and my health was okay. So every year I watched at a distance and admired the winners and everyone, who finished the race. Jizerska 50 attracted me several years after I finished my career. The organizers were clearly pleased by my interest and reserved a number for me. Then the Nature intervened. Jizerské mountains had not enough snow and the race had to be cancelled. I tried my luck once more, but Jizerska was cancelled again for lack of snow.

Then I decided, that I will not try to start again, because may be I bring bad luck to the organizers in some mysterious way. It just wasn’t to be for me to race in Jizerska 50 in my top form, even at recreational pace.

Although... I participated at one anniversary. With professor Jan Pirk, his son Tomáš and Radek Jaroš, I gave it a go on Saturday in a relay for the Fair Play Club. The three kilometres really tested my form...

The story is from the book “Jizerská 50: Závod plný příběhů”, which you can purchase at Albatros Media.