Legendary Bulgarian sprinter, participant in three Olympics, who the Australian authorities define as one of the most successful emigrants in their country, who provided the coaches for sports training for the United Arab Emirates police and army, chose the Pauline village of Duskot to grow herbs and make vinegar. Today, Tsvetanka Kostadinova dreams and works with her Brazilian husband to build a sports center for village children, writes BNR.
Today she is Tina Kostadinova Santosh, a proud resident of the village of Duskot in Pavlikon, and in the 80s of the last century Tsvetanka Kostadinova Ilieva was among the most successful Bulgarian sprinters at 100, 200 and 400 meters, a participant in a number of world and European championships in athletics, and with the Bulgarian relay of 4 by 100 meters with coach Yanko Bratanov at the Olympics in Seoul in 1988, she ran in first place and our girls became fifth with a result of 43.02 seconds after the relays of the USA, the GDR, the USSR and FRG.
"I came from the Middle East, from Dubai, I worked for 17 years. Previously in Australia for 15 years. I do Physiotherapy. I am from Sofia, I have a house in the center of Sofia next to the “Women's Market”.
Why I bought a house in Duskot, because after traveling all over Bulgaria, I really liked the air here, I really liked all the energy of this region and I bought a house where I wanted to have a big yard.
I am looking into organic farming for myself and dealing with herbs, spices, healing in the old traditional ways, which I have completed. Doctor of Sports Sciences. I have participated in three Olympiads in athletics and I am fifth in the Olympics in Seoul. That's where all this energy and everything else came from. Now I think I am one of the youngest grandmothers. My daughter came last year, had her baby and also bought a house in Duscot”.
After finishing her sports career, Tsvetanka Kostadinova left for Australia, where she is a successful manager of a chain of spa hotels. During the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the creation of the modern state of Australia, Tsvetanka Kostadinova was announced as one of the most successful emigrants in the country.
She was a local government sports advisor in Tanzania, working with women and children, victims of violence, as well as multiple sclerosis patients. He is also defending his doctorate in sports sciences in Australia.
A new challenge follows – The United Arab Emirates. He settled in Dubai, where he is also involved in various fields close to sports, and works for an organization that provides sports training coaches for the United Arab Emirates Army and Police. In Abu Dhabi, she met her new husband, Flavio Santos, a Brazilian teacher of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The Covid pandemic comes and the two decide to go to Portugal to continue their lives. But it was not written. The Portuguese authorities refused to accept the Brazilian during the pandemic. He returns to his homeland, and she, despite having vowed not to return to Bulgaria, does so after more than 30 years. A few months later, her husband also comes here.
"I brought him to Duscott too. He is the only one in Bulgaria with a red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and now we have made a small club and we want to train the children in Duscot to try to help them take care of a healthy lifestyle and if we can prevent alcoholism, drug addiction, I think we're going to have great success. It is very interesting that a group of young and energetic people who want to do all kinds of things is starting to form in the village.
After teaching the Australians how to make elderberry syrup, today in the village of Duskot, Tina Kostadinova Santosh makes exotic types of vinegar, which she presents to neighbors and friends:
"I make many types of vinegar. I am not selling them, they are for home use. I make vinegar out of everything – from elder, from apples, from pears, from plums, from janki, from strawberries, from cherries, from quinces and I ferment them with various herbs and spices. I don't use sugar, usually with the sugar of the fruit and add a little honey. Some of the vinegars become clear as they sit for 2 years. For mushrooms, I put kombucha, which ferments them and gives them additional, even healthier qualities.
The world is one big village, it is important to find your place and do good, says our legendary sprinter and current resident of the village of Duskot in Pavliken, Tsvetanka Kostadinova.