Eva Szekely is one of Hungary's most celebrated athletes. The swimmer won two Olympic medals, set six world records, and held 44 national titles. But all of that was very close to not happening.

In 1944, Hungary's Jews were being rounded up. Eva was 17 at the time. When the Nazis came to her house, her father, Andor, spoke up. He said that his daughter was the national champion and one day will make all of Hungary proud. Somehow, the Nazis listened, and Eva was kept alive.

It wasn't smooth sailing from there; she spent the rest of the war in a two-room so-called-safe-house with 40 other people. Of those, only ten survived. But Eva was among them, and soon made her father's words come true. She won the Olympic gold in breaststroke in 1952. A silver came four years later.

Eva died in 2020, adding 76 years to a life so close to being terminated so early.

You made your daughter proud, Andor Szekely.