“Ice Man” Tibi Useriu refuses to attend ceremony for declaring him honorary citizen of Bucharest

Romanian “Ice Man” Tibi Useriu, who managed the great performance of winning the Arctic Ultra 6633 race three times, announced he would not attend the ceremony the Bucharest City Hall plans to organize to give him the honorary citizen of Bucharest title. Bucharest City Hall announced last week its plans to offer the honorary citizen of Bucharest title to Tibi Useriu, because he is "an example of courage, will, dedication, and performance." The proposal hasn’t been voted by the Bucharest General Council, however, being included on its next meeting’s agenda. Useriu said in a Facebook post that he learned about the City Hall’s proposal from the media, and that he would not attend such a ceremony. “Dear friends, I learned from the press about the proposal to grant me the title of honorary citizen of Bucharest, and I also learned from the press that one of the reasons would be that my example is "about how to rehabilitate others". I would never have thought that such a responsibility could fall on my shoulders. I want my example to inspire those who want to overcome their limits, always in the service of good, not to "rehabilitate others,” Useriu wrote on Facebook. “If the General Council will vote to give this title, I will not refuse it, out of respect for all the people of Bucharest, but I will not be present at the ceremony or at other festivities. I thank those who have thought to give me this distinction and to all those who, with their good thoughts, supported me during the last competition.”

The Bistrita-Nasaud County Council also plans to offer an award worth RON 25,000 to Tibi Useriu, according to local Timponline.ro. County council president Radu Moldovan initiated a draft project in this sense, which is to be approved in the next meeting scheduled for March 27. The Romanian whose life looks like a movie script: from robber and jail breaker to endurance runner and hero Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com (photo: 6633 Arctic Ultra on Facebook)