Born and raised in Budapest, Hungary, sport became a way of life for Ildikó Mihók. Today, Ildikó, or “Ildi”, practices functional training three times a week and is an avid runner. Physical activity has been a gift for Ildi, and allows her a chance to leave the daily stress behind, and reconnect with her body.
Sport is an integral part of her professional life, too, and she has made it her mission to empower others through everything that she does. Ildi graduated with a master’s degree in sports management and became a sports diplomacy consultant, where she was able to gain extensive experience in the world of sports, both for multinational corporations and for the Hungarian Olympic Committee. Formerly a freelance marketing, communication. and sponsorship consultant with multiple Hungarian sport’s federations, Ildi is now the marketing and communications director with UNICEF.
In 2019, Ildi became the first Hungarian woman to be selected to participate in the Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP). Mentored by Carol Stiff at ESPN, Ildi gained invaluable skills, such as positivity, acceptance, and leadership. She also inherited a network of like-minded advocates, and felt the pride—and accompanying responsibility—of representing her country in the program. Prior to the GSMP, Ildi recalls that life was hectic and lacked intention or direction. Carol’s mentorship encouraged Ildi to focus on and develop her mission of using her marketing and communication expertise to advance gender equality while increasing the pipeline of women in sport-based careers in Hungary. The program was the eye opener she needed to see her life from a wider perspective and finally believe in herself. Ildi is now empowering others to do the same.
After returning from the U.S., she built a mentoring program for female athletes and coaches focused on communication, leadership, and self-branding skills with the aim of increasing the number of women leaders in the sports and business sector. Ildi believes gender equity at all levels of Hungarian society, will directly contribute to a more stable, equitable, and peaceful future. Her vision is to inspire a new generation of empowered and confident female athletes who will become future leaders in diverse business and sport industries, growing the Hungarian economy, thus creating a more inclusive, equitable, and stable society. Moreover, Ildi organized the “Women in Sports” conference in cooperation with the Society of Hungarian Sport Science, where she worked to implement cost-efficient and creative solutions in sport business.
Ildi will always go the extra mile to make an even bigger impact on women in sport, and is making this world more inclusive by leveraging her platform to advance gender equality.