Zichó Viktor, an extreme athlete, energy engineer, and sustainability expert, gave a motivational speech at the University of Debrecen, organized by the Institute of Sports Science Coordination. The athlete, known for his extraordinary undertakings, sought to highlight the incredible things humans can achieve by going beyond societal conventions and how it is possible to live happily and environmentally consciously with far fewer resources.
“The University of Debrecen is deeply committed to providing students with opportunities to participate in physical activity for their health and well-being. This is evidenced by the platinum level achieved in the FISU Healthy Campus certification system. In addition to a good quality of life, it is also important that members of the university community pay attention to their environmental footprint. This is not the first time we have invited Viktor, who inspires and guides people towards an environmentally conscious lifestyle with his richly illustrated experience reports. Of course, he also has extreme expeditions, but what he does is more tangible than, say, flying in a wingsuit. Anyone can hop on a bike and commute to work on two wheels instead of a car, thereby contributing to the environment and themselves,” said Kata Varga, physical education teacher at the Institute of Sports Science Coordination at the University of Debrecen, and organizer of the event, who first heard about Zichó Viktor while listening to a podcast.
The world-traveling Hungarian cyclist has, among other things, traveled the route of Sándor Kőrösi Csoma, climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, and in the summer of 2023 cycled along the Alps from Sopron to Monaco. His next goal is the Himalayas. He carries out his expeditions with the aim of promoting sustainability and ecotourism. He believes that extraordinary achievements only make sense if they can inspire others or provide something beneficial to society.
“My mission is to combine my passions, rock climbing, mountaineering, and cycling, with important messages. I promote how easy it is to get from one point to another by bike, and by doing so, you are also doing something for the environment and your health. I recently visited Bhutan, a completely carbon-negative country at the foot of the Himalayas, which had a great impact on me,” said Zichó Viktor, who introduced the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle to a large audience through his recent trip.
Next year, Viktor is preparing for the Himalaya Travelz Expedition, which will be the first time anyone has crossed the Himalayas by bike, a distance of 5,500 kilometers. The goal of his new journey is to continue to promote sustainable modes of transportation, cycling, and public transport.
“I don’t just cycle out of passion; the essence of my journeys, lectures, and messages is the collective progress towards environmental awareness and individual responsibility in transportation,” emphasized the extreme ambassador of sustainability.
Before Zichó Viktor’s speech, he went cycling with a small group of university students, visiting the Debrecen VeloPark, a local cycling center.
(unideb.hu)
