Stanislaw Kowalski, the oldest railroader in Poland, has died

Born in 1910, Stanislaw Kowalski was the oldest Pole, the world record holder in the 60-meter dash, and the first to take up the sport after turning 100. However, apart from widely known facts about his person, few know that Kowalski was also a railroader.

Stanislaw Kowalski was born on April 14, 1910, in the village of Rogóvek. The man gained public popularity after making his debut in official track and field competitions at the age of 104. Before that, his only regular physical activity was commuting to work by bicycle.

Remarkably, in 1953 Stanislav started working for the PKP as a track worker in the regional directorate of state railroads in Wroclaw. He was promoted to senior worker three years later, and after two more years, he passed the examination for the position of crossing inspector, which he worked in Brzeg Dolny until his retirement in 1959. In all, his railroad career lasted for 17 years.

Kowalski was in excellent physical shape until the last years of his life. In 2015 in Toruń, he became European champion among masters (in the category of people over 100 years old) in the 60-meter dash and shot put. A year earlier, he had set a European record in the 100 meters with a time of 32.79 seconds.

In January 2022, after Saturnino de la Fuente García died, he became the oldest living man in Europe. He enjoyed the title for less than three months. Stanislaw Kowalski died nine days before his 112th birthday. Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A., the successor of PKP, expressed sincere condolences and sympathy to his family.