Olympian’s Triumph: A Remarkable Journey from Slopes to Research

Jan 16, 2024

Read Time: 4 minutes

At the top of the bobsled run, she is laser focused.

In seconds, Ildiko Strehli will compete in the athletic competition of her life. It’s the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and she’s representing Hungary, but in profound ways, she is also standing up for women and cancer survivors around the world.

Doctors first diagnosed Ildiko with breast cancer when she was 30, a newlywed who had recently relocated from her mother country and was living on the East Coast, and then again four years later, when she was living in Park City. Now, she’s a clinical research coordinator at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the (the U) with the . Ildiko earned her PhD in health and kinesiology with the focus on physical activity and wellbeing from the U. Breast cancer advocacy remains close to her heart.

“When I competed in the Olympics, I felt I was representing all cancer survivors,” she says.

Taking a risk in the name of advocacy and making history

She named her bobsled team, “Sled Full of Hope.” As they traveled the world competing in the World Cup leading up to the Olympics, she advocated for breast cancer awareness and carried a message of hope to cancer survivors. People heard her message around the world. Ildiko feels that it made her more powerful as an Olympian.

She and her teammate finished 13th overall. “We succeeded in participating in the Olympics and contributing to other women athletes, and to cancer awareness around the world.”

Ildiko Strehli competes in the Olympic Winter Games of 2002 in Women's Bobsled for Hungary.

At age 36, Ildiko was making history. The women’s two-person bobsled event debuted in 2002 and she was one of the first to ever compete in the Olympic sport.

“I had a breast cancer recurrence and was treated at Huntsman Cancer Institute. I still had the stitches from my surgeries when the International Olympic Committee announced Women’s Bobsled would become an Olympic sport,” she says. “Given what was going on in my personal life, it gave meaning and purpose to who I am. I was born to be an athlete. Bobsledding chose me.”

How bobsledding found her

Ildiko’s journey started in Hungary, where she taught physical education and skiing and attained international certification as a skiing instructor. After moving to the United States, she continued teaching and coaching.

“A couple of months after my husband and I got married, I found out I had cancer, and that turned everything upside down,” she says.

“Given what was going on in my personal life, it gave meaning and purpose to who I am. I was born to be an athlete. Bobsledding chose me.”

Despite her health challenges, Ildiko continued to teach and stay physically active, earning the title of one of the 100 best ski instructors in North America. After moving to Utah, she decided to try bobsledding and picked up the sport very quickly.

“One thing led to another and I made the Olympic team,” she says. “Bobsledding was a natural fit with my education in exercise and sports science, coaching and my background as an athlete.”

Advancing cancer research

The focus of Ildiko’s research is using objective physical activity measurements, health programs, and implementation of in-person and online mind-body physical activity (MBPA) interventions. Cancer survivors benefit from MBPA classes and interventions.

Ildiko is passionate about helping others through research, education, prevention, and early detection. She is particularly enthusiastic about creating lasting behavior changes that promote lifelong health in all aspects and minimize disparities through education. She understands the importance of early detection and access to quality care and her experience with cancer endeared her to Huntsman Cancer Institute, where a medical team helped her recover from cancer and excel as an athlete again.

As a patient, she became passionate about working in Salt Lake City and giving back to the community. “My care team gave me not just emotional security but also access to care close by,” she says. “I’m so grateful for Huntsman Cancer Institute’s vision of, ‘Delivering a cancer-free frontier.’”

Ildiko hopes her work helps bring access and care to communities far and wide. She wants to reduce the trauma and suffering associated with cancer through advances in science, preventative measures, telehealth, and community-based services.

The Olympic Winter Games were a pivotal moment for Ildiko. Now, she looks forward to the future with hope.

“The games were a fantastic experience. And now, in 2030, it seems like the Olympics will be coming back to Utah, bringing the community together again.”

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