The confluence of the Olympics and Nobel Prizes doesn’t come out regularly. Previously, Philip John Noel-Baker participated in the Olympics in 1912, 1920 and 1924. Among those occasions, in the 1920 Antwerp and 1924 Paris Olympics, Noel-Baker carried out the captaincy role of the British track team. Later, in 1959, he was conferred with the Nobel Peace Prize. The same history repeated this time, but from a slightly different perspective. 

Recently, on the auspicious occasion of the Nobel Award ceremony, a mother-daughter companionship came forward explaining their tryst with the Nobel Prize and the Olympics. Katalin Kariko, mother of Olympic rowing champion Susan Francia, received this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Kariko has been instrumental in the development of mRNA vaccines that checked the pandemic. The doting scientist recently opened up on her hardships in research with her daughter by her side. 

Resilience that connects the Olympics to the Nobel Prize

Success did not come easily for Katalin Kariko. Throughout her research career, the scientist faced double whammies of demotion and fund-cutting. But Kariko stood for her work. In an interview with the Olympics. com, she said, “Other people thought that I am not successful and it’s not working. But when I was working at the laboratory, I could see the progress and I felt very happy…Other people couldn’t see that, so that’s why they were skeptics.” Her resilience paid her off in the grandest possible manner. And it is a situation that her daughter Susan can relate to very well.

A podium finish brings recognition and joy to any athlete. But the blood and sweat behind it often go unnoticed. However, just like a scientist chasing the outcome, an athlete chases the podium and lives for that particular precious moment. As Susan put it, “Being on the podium was great. And it’s so wonderful to hear the national anthem, but being in there every single day and the grind, that was fun.”

At this juncture, both mommy and daughter found themselves in a similar situation where they would have to shed sweat away from the populace to defend their fields. Probably that made Susan even more elated as her mother received the ultimate honor of the scientific world.

Olympic champion delves into mother’s glory

An overjoyed Susan took to her Instagram to share her mother’s achievement. In a heartfelt note, she wrote, “I have no words! I am so insanely proud of my mother. She defines perseverance and this prize is an incredible acknowledgement of her life work.” This perseverance of Katalin Kariko has also helped Susan during her low phases.

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Katalin also recalled some such encounters when she stood for her daughter, “I would say some encouraging words that maybe tomorrow, and some encouragement when something wouldn’t work the way we expected. I was always ready to give her some little talks and encourage her.”  That didn’t go unpaid as Susan found herself two times in the gold winner list of the Olympics. With Katalin receiving the honor, life seems to have come to a full circle for both.

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