Coffee Chronicles 5

Nikos, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you decided to pursue swimming?

My name is Kontou Nikolaos, I am 32 years old, and I live on the beautiful island of Rhodes. I work in the tourism industry, and I have been involved in swimming for the past five years. Before I turned 27, I had never been involved in sports. However, after an accident, I have been using a wheelchair. My engagement with swimming began about six months after my accident. During my rehabilitation in Komotini, I was fortunate to meet a Paralympian, Alexandros Taxildaris.

I saw Alexandros diving into the pool, and I don’t know from that moment—did I fall in love with the water, or was it because my accident happened in a pool and I wanted to overcome my fears?I went to the swimming pool with my wife, and when I felt that atmosphere—the competition space and the stands—I said, “I want to go to the Paralympics in Paris.” And now, five years later, we have finally made it to the Paralympics.

What is a typical day like for a high-level athlete like you? How many hours do you train daily?

A typical day for me as a professional athlete starts something like this: I wake up at 8 or 9 in the morning, go through my morning routine, dress myself, and make my breakfast on my own. After that, I head to the swimming pool. I’m quite lucky because the pool is very close to where I live, so I either go there by car or use an adapted wheelchair.

At the pool, I meet the person who helps me with my training. They time my laps and assist with any equipment I can’t manage on my own. My training sessions take place five times a week at a relaxed pace when I’m not competing, lasting about two to three hours per day. In total, I spend two hours in the water every day.

After training, I return home to rest because, understandably, after two hours of swimming and covering 2.5 kilometers, I’m quite exhausted. Later, I head to work. This is my daily routine when I am competing. It’s quite demanding, but if you want to pursue professional sports, sacrifices are necessary.

What was it like participating in the Paralympic Games, the pinnacle of athletic events? What emotions overwhelmed you?

The Paralympic Games in Paris were a dream come true after my accident and everything my family and wife went through with me. When an event changes your daily life and causes a physical disability that you have to live with for the rest of your life, the Paralympics become a truly significant and emotional milestone for everyone involved.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I found myself, just five years later, in a competitive arena, pursuing professional sports and competing against other equally skilled athletes.It was incredibly special to find myself, just five years after my accident, in a competitive arena, competing alongside other remarkable athletes, and seeing so many people in the stands. It was a unique experience, especially since in Tokyo, due to COVID, there were no spectators. The crowd in Paris was full of enthusiasm, which created an incredible atmosphere.

The feeling of being an athlete, having the crowd cheer to boost your morale, and seeing your family supporting you was indescribable. It was deeply moving to have so many from the Greek delegation come to watch us from the stands. We all felt a profound sense of fulfillment and pride.

In your opinion, what are the three essential characteristics a high-level athlete must have?

The first is to love what you do because when you love something, you'll do it well, whether it's competitive sports, work, or anything else. For me, the first and most fundamental thing is to love what you do

The second is consistency. When you want to pursue specific goals and have a vision, you must remain consistent in what you do.

And the third is persistence. There will be many days that won’t go well, but you need to find the strength within yourself to persist in what you’re doing to achieve your goals.

You live in Rhodes, undoubtedly a beautiful island. If you had the opportunity to move elsewhere in Greece, which place would you choose?

Rhodes is indeed one of the most beautiful islands. If I ever had the chance to go somewhere else in Greece, I think it would be Alexandroupoli, because that’s where my coach is from, and that’s where I go to do my training preparations. Here in Rhodes, the main drawback is that to go anywhere else, you have to take a plane, whereas in mainland Greece, you can travel anywhere with your car.

What is your favorite spot on the island?

A place I really love in Rhodes is the village of Lindos. What I especially enjoy is driving around a bend where you suddenly see the entire village and the sea. It gives me this feeling of having arrived home, and that’s a very beautiful emotion for me.

What is your favorite corner of your home?

My favorite spot at home is the kitchen because I really enjoy cooking. Especially in the house I live in now, it’s even better since it’s accessible and makes cooking easier for me. I spend most of my time there when I’m at home.

Sea or pool?

Sea or pool? I live in Rhodes, so everyone would naturally assume the sea, but I’m not a big fan of the sea in general. Both before and after the accident, my schedule doesn’t allow me to go to the sea, as I associate it with relaxation and not going back to work afterward. So, I prefer the pool.

What is life like for a permanent resident in Rhodes during the winter?

Life in the summer is indeed more intense. There’s a lot of tourism. In the winter, we experience the exact opposite—it’s very calm, and most businesses close, giving many people the opportunity to travel a lot. In general, winters in Rhodes are relaxed—home, tranquility. There’s a six-month period of hustle, and then, during winter, life flows peacefully.

Do you enjoy traveling?

I’m 32 years old now. My wife and I have been together since we were 19, and we had mutually decided that the focus of our lives would be traveling. Our life’s investment would be exploring new cultures and places. Since she’s an architect and I work in tourism, we both enjoy discovering new things, so we decided to take as many long trips as possible. We’ve been to many places around the world. Of course, I was always the reluctant one, but my wife would push me, saying, “We’re going,” and we’d go.

After the accident, one big question was how we’d manage to travel again. My involvement in swimming helped me a lot with this because it forced me to travel and step out of my comfort zone—the routine where I knew nothing would stop me. Although our obligations don’t allow us to travel as often now, whenever we find a window of time, we travel comfortably.

For example, we revisited some places we had been to before to see what the experience would be like now with a wheelchair, and it went really well. In fact, we enjoyed the second time more because we were better prepared.In general, we love traveling—it’s, I believe, a dream of life for everyone.

What are the personal and athletic goals you have set for the new year?

My athletic goal is to improve my time as much as possible compared to the time I achieved at the Paralympics in Paris. After Paris, a desire for a medal was sparked in me—I felt a strong motivation.

I’m a very consistent person, but since I had never been involved in sports before, I didn’t naturally have a competitive spirit. The idea of getting in the water with six other athletes and trying to be as competitive as possible to beat them wasn’t something that came naturally to me.

That fire, however, was instilled in me by my coach, my wife, and my own experience in Paris. My goal now is to compete for a medal. I don’t know if I’ll succeed, but I’ll give it my best effort.

What has been your experience with Engel & Völkers?

My experience with Engel & Völkers was as follows: After my accident, as I was looking for an accessible home, I reached out to the company, and they made a very positive impression on me. At the time, I couldn’t leave the house, and their team made my life much easier by sending me detailed information via email about the properties, including their locations, photos, and more.We had specified that we were looking for a ground-floor property with a lift and certain other features, and they were very eager to help us explore all the available options.

Name the first three things that come to mind when you hear Engel & Völkers.

When I hear Engel & Völkers, I feel reliability, consistency, and organization.