The President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee Stefka Kostadinova was awarded the grand prize in the "Inspiration" category of the authoritative magazine GLAMOUR Bulgaria at the "Women of the Year Awards 2024" ceremony, which was held last night at the Central Military Club. The stylish statuette was presented to the prima of world athletics and icon of Bulgarian sport by the popular presenter Niki Kanchev, BTA reported.
A similar prize has been awarded for more than 30 years and it honors women from all over the world who "change the rules of the game, break glass ceilings and pave paths - exceptional and inspiring ladies with significant achievements in the fields of art, show business, sports, science, medicine and politics".
Worldwide, the holders of the GLAMOUR "Inspiration" statuette have been Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, Barbara Streisand, Simone Biles, Serena Williams and others. In our country, the award is being presented for the third consecutive year, and in previous editions the Olympic champions from the national rhythmic gymnastics ensemble were awarded - Simona Dyankova, Stefani Kiryakova, Madeleine Radukanova, Laura Traats, Erika Zafirova (2022) and actress Maria Bakalova (2023)
"For generations of Bulgarians, the name Stefka Kostadinova is a symbol of inspiration. We are proud that it is precisely a Bulgarian woman who has remained at the top, at the highest point of athletics for 37 years. In addition, we believe that you best embody the motto of the GLAMOUR awards, which is: “Women Supporting Women“. Therefore, it is a great honor for us to present you with this award as a sign of recognition and respect for your emblematic successes and impressive sportsmanship," said Ani Mladenova, editor-in-chief of GLAMOUR Bulgaria, motivating the magazine's choice to present the statuette to the BOC chairman.
"Thank you for the authoritative recognition, I consider it one of the most prestigious awards in my life. I am very moved by the fact that the winners of the “Inspiration“ statuette have been famous world personalities. Reaching this and then staying at the top of the world for so many years is due to talent and a lot of personal effort, as well as to the people from my team, and to the competition from my class rivals. It is an honor, but also a responsibility for me to be defined as an example of inspiration with this award. For us athletes, it is very important to attract and win over more young people to the sport, which brings only positive things. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart once again and let's wish more Bulgarian women in the future with such valuable awards," said Kostadinova.