As part of the #BraveMenTalk campaign, a new Guinness World Record was set for walking barefoot from Los Angeles to New York. (source: BraveMenTalk)
Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent.
Slovak company backs record-breaking walk to raise awareness of men's mental health
Veteran Anton Nootenboom walked 3,100 miles (around 5,000 kilometres) barefoot from Los Angeles to New York City for men’s mental health. (source: Brave Men Talk)
As part of the #BraveMenTalk campaign, a mental health initiative and brand marketing campaign sponsored by Slovak footwear manufacturer Barebarics, a new Guinness World Record was set for walking barefoot from Los Angeles to New York. The remarkable journey was undertaken to raise awareness about men's mental health. Dutch military veteran Anton Nootenboom walked barefoot for 260 days, covering 5,000 kilometers and taking more than 7.5 million steps.
The campaign attracted over 1.2 million followers on social media, and was covered by major international media outlets, including the New York Post, ABC Australia, Yahoo News and CBS News, covered its success.
Young Oliver Ozogány to become the first Slovak player to be drafted into the USHL
In a significant achievement for a Slovak athlete, hockey player Oliver Ozogány has made history as the first Slovak to sign a contract with a team in the United States Hockey League (USHL), America's top junior ice hockey league, the Refresher website reports. He will join the Tri-City Storm junior team for the 2025/26 season.
At just 15 years old, Oliver won’t be eligible for the senior National Hockey League (NHL) draft until 2027, according to the SlovakNHL website. Currently, he is playing with the Cleveland Barons AAA team in North America, competing in both the U15 and U16 age groups. In the U16 division, he has scored four goals and provided nine assists in 13 games, while in the U15 division, he has netted 25 goals and recorded 28 assists in 23 games.
Slovak architects won a prestigious international competition
The Slovak architecture firm Kuklica Smerek Architects has won a prestigious competition to renovate a cultural centre in Ústí nad Orlicí, Czech Republic, the StartItUp news portal reports. Competing against 15 other entries, their proposal earned the top prize and a reward of 400,000 Czech crowns (approximately €15,800).
The winning team, consisting of Peter Kuklica, Martin Smerek, Erik Hornáček, Radovan Szabó and Leonard Šlosár, impressed the jury by respecting the original 1980s design of the building. Their approach preserved the structure’s distinctive facade and mosaic decor while addressing functional flaws and problematic areas, noted town mayor Petr Hájek.
Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read:
A new wave of descendants is reconnecting with their heritage, embracing Slovak identity, and securing European citizenship.
Slovakia could be one of the first EU countries to generate electricity from used nuclear fuel.
Long-term Norwegian investor Timm, which makes nautical ropes in Slovakia, plans a €10-million investment in Trenčín, adding a new production hall and creating 40 jobs.
Slovak ice hockey players have started readying themselves for next year's World Championship by winning the Deutschland Cup tournament, held last week.
A mobile app tells wheelchair users which Bratislava sights are barrier-free. Among the wheelchair-friendly venues is the vertiginous UFO restaurant, at the top of the SNP Bridge.
Political meme of the week
Caption: When you discover that the next Olympic Games will be held in Šamorín.
This political meme, featuring a popular reaction image of hip-hop star and, lately, Olympic equestrian sports fan Snoop Dogg, was published by the satirical website Zomri.
The meme is reacting to news that the state will invest €20 million in construction of a multifunctional "Olympic Arena" to expand the current Slovak Olympic Training Centre in Šamorín.
The new venue is supposed to accommodate up to 5,000 spectators for sports including basketball, volleyball and handball.
íYou can send me your tips on good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: kseniia.husieva@spectator.sk. Thank you!
