President of the Republic of Slovenia welcomes the Slovenian Paralympic team

Brdo pri Kranju, 30.9.2008  |  press release

Today at Brdo Castle, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, hosted a reception for the Slovenian Paralympic team on their return from the 13th Beijing 2008 Summer Paralympic Games. He congratulated the members of the team on their achievements, successfully representing Slovenia in this important international sport event, and on the courage that brought them such success. Since the Olympic Games originate in antiquity, the President of the Republic recalled an ancient proverb about fortune favouring the bold. “You who are here today are brave. Brave because you have achieved great results through your work, talent and courage, which helped you overcome all kinds of obstacles along the way,” said President Türk.

Dr Türk pointed out that these achievements reflected the sort of excellence which we as a society should strive for in all areas. Excellence should become a guiding star, directing and motivating us. Dr Türk noted that this is especially important in the situation today, in which we face ever-increasing global competition. In the President’s words, today’s event provided the best opportunity to comprehend the importance of striving for excellence, as well as the outstanding results of the Slovenian team in the Paralympic Games, which should inspire us in all areas of society. In closing, the President asked all the athletes to continue to help our society, by setting an example through their achievements in sport, achieve as much as possible and fully realise our abilities.