For the first time in its history, Hungary awarded a citizen of a foreign country with its highest award, the “Gold Medal of Honor.” This honor was awarded to the twenty-one-year-old Greek kite surfer Anastasios Garipis for rescuing a father and daughter from drowning this summer, becoming both the first Greek and the first foreign citizen ever to receive the distinction.
With emotion and words of deep gratitude, the President of Hungary, Tamas Sulyok, awarded the Greek Anastasios Garipis and Spanish champion Iset Segura, for their courage, for rescuing a Hungarian father and his 10-year-old daughter.
The two Hungarian nationals had been swept away by strong currents while swimming in Epanomi, northern Greece.
Garipis spotted the father and his daughter struggling and rushed to their aid, managing to bring both safely back to shore.
Iset Segura, who also contributed to the rescue effort, received the same honor.
Sulyok noted that the two young people are worthy of respect “first for the lives they saved but also because they showed their generation, our peoples and everyone what real humanity means,” as stated on the Hungarian presidency’s website.
For his part, Anastasios sent the message that the sea taught him that freedom is mainly made of responsibility, the responsibility to get everyone to shore.
Iset stated that anyone would have done what they did, adding that there is always a point where our humanity can show itself.
The Hungarian president, Sulyok, posted photos from the award ceremony of the two young people on Facebook thanking them.
Photo credit: President of Hungary
The award ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace in Budapest, where the two athletes received the medal from the President of Hungary. The event began with the Greek national anthem, underscoring the international spirit of the occasion.
The Hungarian government emphasised that this act of bravery symbolised international solidarity and the spirit of humanity that transcends borders.
