Invited to the ERT show “Epilogue” on Thursday night (25/7) was Fotini Papaleonidopoulou, the girl who stole the spotlight and enchanted the entire planet by extinguishing the flame of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
Fotini, who grew up in SOS children’s villages, is currently pursuing her PhD in molecular biology at the Francis Crick Institute, having previously completed her biology degree in Patras. Fotini spoke to Apostolos Maggiriadis about how those moments influenced her subsequent path.
Speaking about herself and the rest of Greece, Fotini says that the memory and experience of the 2004 Olympic Games deeply move her. She is touched by the memory of the intense feeling of collectivity and joy that she experienced, and believes that everyone shared a similar experience. She continued, saying: “Whether it was the people driving taxis to bring the invited athletes, or as volunteers, I believe it greatly boosted national pride, and I definitely feel moved and very happy to have been part of this experience. I hope we have more such experiences in the future and continue to be amazed by our achievements, both collectively and individually, of course.”
Indeed, Fotini stated that she feels very lucky to have been chosen, especially while being completely unaware, as she was only 10 years old and at camp, when the phone rang to convey the joyful news. After that, she went through a casting, and all the rest is a pleasant memory, as she mentioned she did not trip on the stairs.