Agnes Keleti, survived the Holocaust, lived through the overthrow of communism in her native Hungary, and won 10 Olympic medals over the course of her career!
Born in 1921, Agnes became a star gymnast in her youth, winning national championships and taking part in the infamous 1936 Olympics in Berlin. With the outbreak of World War II, Keleti managed to survive by concealing her Jewish identity and finding work as a maid in a small village. Her father and other family members were murdered at Auschwitz.
After the war, Agnes resumed her career and made her true athletic breakthrough. She was 31 by the time of the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, where she won four medals including the gold in the floor exercise.
The Melbourne Olympics of 1956 offered the chance to leave Hungary for good, and she, along with other Hungarian athletes, sought and found refuge in Australia. A year later she left Australia for Israel where she became the star of the 5th Maccabiah – מכביה.
Keleti collected more Olympic medals than Usain Bolt and is still going strong at the age of 101!
Photo: Agnes Keleti, the Maccabiah Archive
