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BOSTON MARATHONApril 17, 2006Edith HunkelerShirley ReillyDiane RoyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS Q. Obvious question but how does it feel to be the winner today? EDITH HUNKELER: Great. I'm absolutely happy. I did a great race, and I never expected to win. I was really scared about both of them, and when you're at the top and you cross the finish line first, you just have one word; you're happy. Q. What do you think made the difference? EDITH HUNKELER: From the last week or from the other athletes? I don't know. Probably that I was faster. I climbed really well today, but on the flat part I was really surprised about Diane. She pushed me well. I pulled away I think at 15k and it was uphill and downhill, I could push really hard and I never looked back. I never knew whether Diane really is. Yeah, I pushed, going for myself, I felt well. I was sometimes like flying. I was surprised about me today and I'm really surprised about the time, too. I never expected to be so fast because it was so cold. Q. I have two questions about Switzerland. Is Esolzwil a suburb of Zurich? EDITH HUNKELER: It's a little, little village. It's not in Zurich; it's close to Lucerne. Q. Switzerland is a very well-developed country but it's got quite a small population, and there are five Swiss wheelchair athletes listed on the all-time best performances in Boston. Could you talk about the extent to which the sport is noticed or popular in Switzerland and could it attract a larger population? EDITH HUNKELER: I don't know. We have a really good organization and we speak with each other and then we take the decision where we want to go. Boston, New York, that's all big marathons, and every junior wants to be there, to take place. They look at you and I'm sure at home now they are watching TV and see what happens and they want to go here, too. We tell about how it feels to be here. People cheering you, that's a special feeling and that makes it special for youngsters to come up here and try it, too. But it is a really hard marathon, it's not easy. I know easier marathons. Q. Do you see the sport growing in Switzerland, and in this country also, there are a lot of people in wheelchairs relative to the number who actually compete. EDITH HUNKELER: Yeah, you can't choose your athletes. They have to be in the wheelchair and have to have the pleasure to do the sport. That's not easy. We have youngsters and it takes time but they are coming. You have to do an apprenticeship and it takes a long time to get to the top. I knew a few of them, they know what they want to do to race. That's the important thing, to never forget to have fun. We can't live just professional; we have to work at home, everybody has to work and that doesn't make it easy to be at the top all the time. Q. What do you do for work? EDITH HUNKELER: I'm a secretary? Q. You said you were surprised at the time given how cold it was; were these not good conditions? EDITH HUNKELER: For me, not, but for some probably it was okay. I know Diane did not like the weather, too. In Switzerland, we actually have snow and the whole spring was snowing and it was really cold. But I like warm weather, so with short sleeves, sun is shining, then I feel very well. But you can't choose. You have to go through. I was really happy that we have no rain here. Q. Diane, you don't like the cold either? DIANE ROY: No, no cold. That was really cold, and we had a head wind, and it's not easy. The timing is good, because with the head wind, the weather, I think the time is really good, and 1:43, and for me, 48, very good. Q. Shirley, how did it feel for you coming in the Top 3 and what was the toughest part of the race for you? SHIRLEY REILLY: It was very exciting. The toughest part for me was I think I wasn't climbing as well as these two girls were, so that was a little downfall for me. But very exciting. It's my second time in Boston, so I definitely want to come back next year and see how I do.
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