Zoltán Bujna

Born: 1982

Born in: Komárno, Czechoslovakia (currently Slovak Republic)

Marital status: married (one wife: Ági)

Bicycles owned: 4

I was introduced to cycling relatively early, around the time when I was 3 years old. But for some period my parents still wanted me to try out different things. First of all there was football. But after on the training I accidentally shoot the trainer in the head, he asked my parents to talk to him after training and suggested to them that they should find me an another hobby. What followed was folk dance. They realised pretty soon that I don’t have the talent for it. Acting followed; on my very first stage act I was only given one line, which was actually also the title of the whole act, but I was so nervous I couldn’t managed to say a tone. Well, the only thing they could do was the local model building club, which was lead by my father. Needless to say I was protected by the name of my father, so they could not get rid of me, even if they wanted to. Anyways, during modelling, the glue needs time to harden, and during the time I had to wait I took the opportunity and gone out cycling around the building, than around the block, than the rounds became larger and larger, as at one time I did not returned at all. From this moment my parents knew they found the sport which fits me the most.

This is how my cyclist career started. From this point on almost every aspect of my life was interconnected with cycling and bicycles. I graduated at the Slovak Technical University; my final work was about carbon frame manufacturing. I founded a cyclist club in my hometown, Komárno; it is named Szabadság Vándorai (Wanderers of Freedom). This year it was the 11th time that our club organizes the largest sport event in our region. I met my wife – who is also a cyclist – on a cyclist meeting and we are cycling together ever since.

In 2005 I cycled till Iran and spent there a month following the footsteps of Arminius Vámbéry. After I returned I started working at the Kenzel bike manufacturer; my responsibilities were mainly supplier contacts and sorting out issues in the manufacture. But as time gone by my line of work was widened, my responsibilities rose, and with it also the pressure on me. I missed the limitless freedom which I had, in the depth of my heart I felt the urge to go back to the mysterious Middle Asia. Making the choice wasn’t easy: leave behind the work and life I built up and going into dangerous, unknown terrain. But in the end I made the first step, I quit my job and from the beginning of 2013 I am actively organised the Vámbéry 2013 expedition. I dedicate the expedition, as the previous one also, to my role model, Arminius Vámbéry, who’s trail I will follow. In the saddle of my bike I am going to ride through the Pamir Mountains, up till the seemingly endless Karakorum.