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EU Open House 2016

The Czech Republic is a land of great athletes and fervent fans. Win prizes and gear up with us for the summer Olympics 2016 by playing some of the most popular Czech sports soccer, volleyball or badminton. Watch Czech rising stars demonstrate their gymnastics skills or our canine friends clear hurdles as per track and field. Learn about the fall Mutual Inspirations Festival 2016 - Martina Navratilova, celebrating the best tennis player of all time, among men or women. Cool down with a variety of delicious beer, hearty food, and music and dance.

Above Photo: Czech Olympic Athlete Barbora Špotáková, Photo Credit: Herbert Slavík 

DATE: May 14, 2016, 10 am to 4 pm

Location: Embassy of the Czech Republic
3900 Spring of Freedom Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008

CZECH IT OUT AT #1!
Welcome table

Welcome to the Embassy of the Czech Republic, representing a land of great athletes and fervent fans, all gearing up for the greatest sports competition of this summer, the 2016 Olympics.  In similar sportsmanship spirit, the embassy is celebrating the upcoming fall Mutual Inspirations Festival 2016 – Martina Navratilova, hereby launching the annual festival’s website and introducing this year’s prominent personality. Martina Navratilova is a living legend, the best tennis player of all time, among men or women, with 59 Grand Slam titles and a record 9 Wimbledon singles championships. Beyond her unmatched records, she has become an inspirational leader to rising stars, women, and minorities. She is a fierce advocate for human rights, healthy living and animals. Let the staff at our welcome table direct you to stops around the embassy you can “Czech” out!

CZECH IT OUT AT #2!
Gymnastics

Living in a single room with her mom overlooking a red-clay tennis court, Martina Navratilova began playing tennis at the age of 4. She is not the first tennis star in her family, following in her maternal grandmother’s footsteps and beyond. Yet, it was her “second” father who took the self-described court rat under his wing and became her coach. It was his energy and enthusiasm that gave her a chance at tennis. Martina took his last name as he was a father to her in every sense of the word. Convinced Martina could win Wimbledon, her father took the then nine year old to George Parma, the best coach in the then former communist Czechoslovakia. Immediately recognizing talent, he refined her game but still let her play aggressive. Martina was proud to commute after her regular schooling to lessons with him in Prague, dreaming of being famous one day. See today’s rising stars also of Czech heritage from American Sokol Washington DC tumble and roll, showing off their best gymnastics skills. Also, have your shining star enjoy face painting.

CZECH IT OUT AT #3!
Soccer

Martina was 11 when the soviets rolled into Czechoslovakia in 1968 subduing a period of political liberalization known as the Prague Spring. She saw the country lose its soul. Coach Parma’s advice that sports is the one way she will be able to travel resonated with her. Yet, playing tennis in a communist-run state, she had to receive permission to travel abroad, being told how to train, what tournaments to enter. Being headstrong, Martina wanted to be herself, which she could in America. With only her father knowing her plans, Martina defected to the US while competing at the US Open in 1975 at the age of 18 to follow her aspirations of playing tennis, excelling in both singles and doubles. Truthfully, Martina always liked being part of a team. For example, she enjoys passing the ball in pickup games of soccer, arguably the most popular sport in the Czech Republic. Show off your soccer skills in our street soccer court from a top Czech producer and distributor Uher Company, which will be donated to the DC United Academy.

CZECH IT OUT AT #4!
Basketball

Martina sensed the freedom in America and admired its women for doing what they wanted to do, making decisions, being professionals. She also liked the food. Growing up on traditional Czech dishes spread out over the course of a day, Martina was slim growing up but, indulging in Big Macs and fries, she struggled with her weight when she got to the US.  Still, Martina won her first major singles title at Wimbledon in 1978, defeating her greatest rival Chris Evert in three sets in the final and captured the World No. 1 ranking for the first time. Martina defended her Wimbledon title in 1979, again beating Evert. However, after Evert crushed Martina in 1981 in the finals of the Women’s Tennis Association championships, Martina began working with basketball’s “Lady Magic,” Nancy Lieberman, who helped Martina overhaul her fitness.  She also teamed up with a coach, Renee Richards, who helped with her mental focus. Let your little ones shoot some hoops and jump around in our moon bounce. Inside the Embassy, speak to the representatives of SportMind, who work with athletes’ psychology to improve their performance.

CZECH IT OUT AT #5!
Tennis

The hours in the gym paid off. Martina was in the best shape of her career and the confidence showed.  She had the ultimate serve-and-volley game and ardent determination to be the best.  Still, she lost the 1982 US Open due to her severe sickness from toxoplasmosis she caught from eating an uncooked hamburger. By 1983, she was ready to again claim the number one spot with a new coach, Mike Estep. After working on her strategy, Martina finally won the US Open, beating Chris Evert. In fact, the Navratilova-Evert on court fierce rivalry for dominance in women's tennis is one of the greatest in any sport’s history. Between 1973 and 1988, the Grand Slam champs faced each other 80 times. Despite their epic rivalry, different playing styles, and contrary on court demeanor, they became very close friends and even doubles partners, winning at Wimbledon and the French Open together.  Check out tennis rackets made by the Czech company Artis, play some table tennis, and speak to our Public Diplomacy representatives about the upcoming fall Mutual Inspirations Festival 2016 - Martina Navratilova.

CZECH IT OUT AT #6!
Czech Olympics

Martina became known for taking women’s tennis to an entirely new level with her speed, aggression, and fitness. She won a record nine Wimbledons, including six consecutively. Martina ultimately retired from tennis, only to return at the age of 43. Her diet and work ethic ultimately resulted in her being selected to represent the US at the Olympics in 2004, her first Olympics. Although losing in the quarterfinals, she became the oldest Olympic tennis player in the history of the Games. In celebration of this summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, immerse yourself in the exhibition on Czech Olympics in the Embassy’s main hall and learn about the 2016 Czech Olympic Team from a representative of the Czech Olympic Committee as well as the team’s 2016 mascot and personality, Emil Zatopek.  He was a Czech long-distance runner and the first to ever run 10km under 29 minutes as well as 20km under an hour. Lastly, enjoy Czech cuisine and delicious beer brewed by Pilsner Urquell and Czechvar while listening to Czech folk music by the band Czech and Then Some.

CZECH IT OUT AT #7!
Track and field

In her quest to become one of the greatest athletes of all times, Martina had to overcome several hurdles in her life.  After coming to America, the media portrayed her as the outsider, the defector, the immigrant. Martina was always very outspoken and emotional, a personality trait she gained from her birth father. Her persona was the opposite of the feminine, even-keeled Chris Evert, who was "America's Sweetheart.” Martina’s image also suffered when it became known that she was gay. Her public declaration in those times cost her millions in endorsement dollars. Even her parents didn’t understand initially, accusing Martina of being overly sensitive and revealing her emotive birth father committed suicide when she was young. Martina struggled with her image throughout her career but remained a strong proponent for the rights of the LGBT community, speaking at the 2000 Millennium March in Washington, DC.  She married her wife in New York in 2014 and together they raise two daughters and numerous adorable purebreds and mutts. Watch Czech born German Shepherds jump over hurdles of a different kind during a demonstration by the Rockville City Police K-9 Unit.

CZECH IT OUT AT #8!
Badminton

Another great challenge that Martina conquered was controlling her diet. During her first visit to the US in 1973, Martina put on 20 pounds in just two weeks, discovering the foods on the other side of the Iron Curtain. She lost the weight naturally when she returned home to an active routine. However, after her defection, Martina ballooned to 170 pounds. People thought she was lonely but in reality Martina lacked the proper knowledge about nutrition and exercise. Fast forward the course of a career that spanned an amazing four decades, Martina is a leader on personal fitness and healthy living, attested by her own comeback from retirement. In fact, Martina captured her final grand slam title in mixed doubles a month shy of her 50th birthday! She is now a testament to her own motto, “The ball doesn’t know how old I am.” Still, she praises her mom for being a great role model in teaching her just how important sports are for young girls.  Try your competitive edge in a game of badminton with rackets provided by the Czech company Artis.  

CZECH IT OUT AT #9!
Cycling


Martina’s beloved grandma was also a great inspiration. She would make her special carrot salad, urging young Martina, “Eat it. It’s good for your eyes. You will see the ball better.” Unfortunately, despite all the advice and wisdom, some things cannot be prevented. In 2010, after putting off annual mammograms, Martina was diagnosed at the age of 53 with breast cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy to remove the cancerous cells and, staying true to herself, she competed less than two weeks later in the 24.9-mile cycling portion of a triathlon in Hawaii. As for the second part of her cancer treatment, Martina endured a six week radiation treatment in Paris so that she could do commentary on the French Open during that period as well as compete with the 1998 Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna in the legends doubles tournament, which coincided with weeks three and four of her treatment. Despite not feeling completely well, she won with Novotna. Martina now advocates for women to receive regular checkups. Speed off on kick bikes from the Czech company Kostka along our paths at the Ambassador’s residence before you visit inside. 

CZECH IT OUT AT #10!
Volleyball


Surviving breast cancer, Martina has continued to live her life to the fullest. The tennis legend with a record 167 singles and 177 doubles championships will turn 60 this October and remains to be the oldest winner of a grand slam title, male or female. Still, Martina credits her childhood in former Czechoslovakia where she saw women having families, jobs and playing sports with an innate sense that sports are good for you as well as fun. Her mother played volleyball and tennis and Martina learned to love and play a variety of sports, which continues to help her fitness. Martina now fights childhood obesity in America by promoting physical activity and good eating habits. She emphasizes that girls who play sports have higher self-esteem and excel in school. She also works with various charities benefiting underprivileged children. Get moving during a game of volleyball with balls provided by the Czech company Gala at the Ambassador’s residence. For as Martina says, “You never regret new experiences, only the ones you missed.”

 

Schedule:

10:00                     Dog Show

10:30                     Talk w/Czech Olympic Committee

11:00am-1pm    Band

11:30                     Soccer shoot out

12:00                     Dog Show

1:00                       Talk w/Czech Olympic Committee

1:30                       Soccer shoot out

2:00                       Kids’ gymnastics   

2:30                       Dog Show          

2:30-3pm            Band

3:00                       Talk w/Czech Olympic Committee

3:30                       Soccer shoot out

3:30-4pm            Band