Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent.

Meet Slovakia’s new icon of resilience

Emma Zapletalová just turned one of the toughest comebacks in athletics into a headline moment. After four stress fractures and three years off the track, she stormed back onto the global stage at the World Athletics Championships 400m hurdles event in Tokyo – 53 seconds, a billion viewers, and a bronze medal that felt like a plot twist no one dared predict. Leaving two Olympic medallists behind her, Slovakia suddenly had a new icon of grit.

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Forbes Slovakia took notice and have handed her their Personality of the Year award, making her the first person under 30 ever to get it. But the real win happened long before the finish line. Emma rebuilt herself piece by piece, swapped comfort for courage, and proved that sometimes the most spectacular victories happen far from the stadium lights.

Right now, when everyone feels a bit worn out, her story lands like a reminder that even repeated fractures, in sport or anywhere else, don’t have to be the final word.

Football match turns into a day of giving

Football fans in Banská Bystrica showed that their love for the game goes beyond cheering in the stands. During MFK Dukla’s last home match of the autumn season against FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce, supporters turned their passion into action, raising nearly €2,900 for the city’s Paediatric Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Clinic.

The stadium buzzed with excitement as fans not only cheered for their team but also took part in a voluntary collection. Nurses from the paediatric ICU even swapped their scrubs for football jerseys, becoming honorary team members for the day. Thanks to generous fans and a personal contribution from club owner Peter Krnáč, money will go towards a new resuscitation trolley, a crucial piece of equipment for the smallest patients. Both the hospital and the club agree that the real heroes are the people who chipped in, proving that teamwork off the pitch can save lives just as much as goals on it.

Interpol’s most wanted, wrapped in a bow

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS MAIL

“Mišo, we miss you like the cabbage in cabbage soup.”

The Slovak police are back online, cracking jokes while chasing criminals. A combo nobody asked for, yet everyone loves. Their Christmas campaign is mixing holiday cheer with a deadly serious message. Instead of carols and cookies, they’re serving up the country’s most-wanted faces straight from the Interpol database, wrapped in a festive bow.

This year’s theme plays with the idea of “Christmas mail” sent to those who really should come home for the holidays – and preferably straight into custody. Posts introduce wanted individuals, served with a wink and strong visuals that social media can’t resist. The playful tone isn’t just for laughs. The police know that catchy posts travel fast, and every share increases the chance that someone will recognise a face.

The goal remains unchanged – to gather fresh information from the public that could help locate these fugitives. And if humour is the secret ingredient that gets people paying attention, the Slovak police seem more than ready to deliver.

Some feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator for you to enjoy:

Meme of the week

Caption: She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-By-Drlička

Vold-ART-Mort

Slovakia’s meme-makers didn’t even need a full news cycle to pounce on the latest political absurdity. After a court ruled that former national theatre director Matej Drlička is forbidden from even uttering the name of Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová, the minister was instantly transformed into Slovakia’s own She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The natural next step – this is the internet we are talking about, let’s remember – was to morph Šimkovičová into Voldemort, and to generate a hybrid image of her and the world’s most famous noseless villain. The icing on the cake was to round it all off with a silly pun: “Vold-ART-Mort”. Because nothing fuels creativity like heavy-handed censorship.

A public figure silencing a critic? Check. A court order that sounds like it escaped from a fantasy novel? Double check. And a country that immediately turns the whole thing into a magical meme? Absolutely. If you have ever wondered what would happen when censorship meets pop culture, here is your answer.

You can send me your tips on good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: elizaveta.blahodarova@spectator.sk. Thank you.