Once a well-known TV reporter in Hungary, Viktória Szilasi (now Brown) has built a life few could have imagined. At just 21, she was covering the Olympics for Hungary’s national television (RTL and Telesport). Later, she joined the BBC — and today, she’s a Toronto-based businesswoman, mother of three, and accomplished ultramarathon runner.
Before her athletic career, Viktória also made a name for herself at the poker tables — winning enough money to buy 13 properties across the United States.
Although she hasn’t played professionally for more than a decade, her results still keep her ranked among Hungary’s top female poker players, and within the top 150 overall. “I stopped after my kids were born,” she told Hungarian media, “but I still enjoy playing casually. The game has evolved so much since I left it.”
Her path into poker began unexpectedly: “When my job at the BBC ended, I got six months’ severance pay. During that time, I picked up a book about poker — and that’s how it started.”
She spent four years grinding mainly online tournaments, earning around $10,000 per month, and also collecting $133,453 in live winnings. Most of her poker profits went into real estate investments, laying the foundation for her financial independence.
After stepping away from the felt, Viktória discovered a new passion — ultrarunning — during the COVID-19 lockdowns. “It turned out I was naturally good at it,” she said. She recently completed a 24-hour race in South Carolina, running nearly the distance of five marathons.
Representing Hungary, she aimed to break both the Hungarian (250 km) and Canadian (248 km) records in the same event. “If I run as a Hungarian athlete, I can go for both records at once,” she explained in an interview with fellow Hungarian journalist Vujity Tvrtko, who also lives in the U.S.
Today, Szilasi balances entrepreneurship, motherhood, and sport. She has founded a wellness brand, continues to invest in property, and is even planning to write a book. Her next goals? Entering upcoming 48-hour and 72-hour ultramarathon events — continuing the story of a woman who has already reinvented herself several times over.
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