Successful and Independent by FOBERINI: Anna Rizatdinova

What happens when the dream comes true and the Olympic medal is already in hand?
It's a very difficult time. Many athletes even have an experience of depression on this background. Since 5 years you give up all of you into business, there is nothing but sport in life, because it requires full dedication and self-sacrifice. You have to fencing off yourself from friends and family, give up weekends and vacations. And when the sport ends, you ask yourself the question "What is my meaning in life now?" Such a question was in front of me. The dream came true. Where to go next? I was lucky, and leaving the sport gradually transitioned into a happy family life. I am completely immersed in a new world on my on. After all, for us, athletes, a lot of the most ordinary things for a long time are simply unavailable, we do not even know about them. I have traveled a lot in the world before, but I didn't see anything except the airport, hotel and gym. I started traveling, meeting friends, to communicate with my parents. If I used to read only sports literature, now I read books about family relationships, parenting. I can say that after leaving the sport, I started a new life with a clean sheet.

How did you feel when you were standing on the podium at the Olympics?
I didn't fully believe I was standing on it! But when our anthem was played and the flag of Ukraine slowly began to raise, I finally realized that the medal was mine. We have a beautiful hymn, and when it is turn on, it takes a breath of even those who don't speak the language. I can't even signify my feelings, I just have to go through it! For the sake for all of this, it is worth to make all the sacrifices and to give your children into sports. It is such a pride for the country, for itself, for the fact that Ukraine is the best in the world, and now they see it all.

How to deal with excitement before performances?
At my first Olympics in London, I still couldn't do it. But during the Olympics in Rio, she very seriously and consciously approached moral training. I read a lot of literature, watched a lot of films about sports. I was interested how Novak Djokovic and David Williams were tuned before the competition. I read a terrific book called "The Mental Athlete". It describes how a psychologist prepared athletes for the most prestigious competitions, I began to study on this book. Unfortunately, sports psychology is absolutely not developed in our country. We have no idea what a “psychologist in a team” is. Well if there is a doctor and a masseur. But absolutely not everyone can cope morally. Anyone who overcomes his fear of competition has a much better chance of successful performance. After all, as soon as you enter the territory of the Olympic Village and see the Olympic rings, fear simply fetters you hand and foot. I reassured myself very much, I told myself that during the preparation I gave everything 100%. This is a complicated process, but in Rio I did it.

Remember your first "big" performance, from which began a sports career and the path to the Olympic Games in Rio.
It was a performance at the Deriugina Cup. As tennis players dream of Grand Slam tournaments, of Wimbledon, so every gymnast since childhood dreams of performing at the Deriugina Cup. I'm from the Crimea, and still I've training in Simferopol, I imagined myself on the carpet of the huge Sports Palace and whole world was looking at me very tiny (smiles). And my dream came true - I not only performed well, Deryugina herself noticed me. Then the top 10 juniors were selected.

You made a very unexpected decision after winning in Rio, why?
The career period of the gymnast is particularly short. We start very early. If I started at 5 years old, now three-year-olds are brought to gymnastics. When I performed in Rio, I was 23 and I was the most adult, girls who were at most 20 years old performed with me. I believe that sports should be left at the peak of your form, with understanding and awareness. When you did absolutely everything. I left the sport with the full understanding that I had reached the maximum. Fans are still writing to me on social networks “Come back! You would be the best at the Olympics! ” Probably the most painful reaction has Irina Ivanovna Deryugina. But only I went my way. And only I understand what it cost to me. I really wanted that fans are remember me at the peak of my form. Rio was my peak. And when it was all over, I told myself that now I can leave with a clear conscience.

If not for a sports career - who would you be?
At one time, when I was still in kindergarten, I was invited to the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Of course, I was very fired up then, but my parents were afraid to let me go to another country. It didn’t work out with ballet, but I really liked dancing. Therefore, I chose rhythmic gymnastics, because this is a sport where you can dance. I love the competitive spirit and love to stand out. Stand out not in terms of bright clothes or defiant makeup, but in terms of their achievements. I believe that a beautiful woman is primarily a self-realized woman. Therefore, in any case, I would choose a sports career, even if it was not gymnastics.

Share the secret of success, how to become self-fulfilling and successful?
Great desire is my first secret. The recipe for my success was not in talent in the sense of data from nature. There are children who are brought into the gym and you can immediately see in them - this is the future sports star, because she has both flexibility and stretching by nature . I had none of this. Nobody predicted success for me, I did not stand out from the group. I was an ordinary girl with short and slightly plump legs. And yet - my character trait is hard work. I am grateful to the parents who inspired me from childhood that without labor you will not achieve anything in life. With this thought, I came to the team. If I did not have this quality, I would not have achieved anything. Stretching, flexibility, plastic - all that I have and that gave me bronze in Rio is the result of my work on myself. I really wanted to be the best! At first I dreamed of joining the national team, then I dreamed of becoming the best in the national team, and then - the best in the world. I constantly set great goals. I think I'll write a book about this - that you should never give up.

What are your future plans?
The last 17 years of my life I completely gave to sports. At the moment, I enjoy life. All priorities revolve around family life. I dream of raising a real man from my son. As for work, I was lucky, because in my sport master classes around the world are very developed. I have already held such events in Mexico, France, Italy, Spain. I'm flying to Japan in the fall, and March of the following year is already booked for workshops in Chicago, they invite me to Chile - I think about this. Generally, this is 2-3 days, training for 8 hours a day. I get tremendous pleasure from working with children! At the same time, these workshops help to stay in good shape and in your favorite deal.

You have seen the best sports complexes in the world, what is scarce in Ukrainian sports?
I want sports to become a cult in Ukraine! We have amazing coaches, talented athletes who are true patriots of their country and their field. They win medals not because of, but against all odds. I would like to reach out to our officials so that they understand that sport is the country's prestige. After all, when our flag rises at world-class competitions and plays the anthem of Ukraine - what could be more beautiful than that?! Art and sport are the two factors that unite the most. This is the real face of the country and I want the attitude to athletes to be at the same level. I want more support, more attention and development. Moreover, starting from children's sports - playgrounds, courts, etc. So that there are more sports programs on TV, when children watch and then they can tell their parents, “I want it too!”

How do you plan to celebrate Independence Day of Ukraine?
Every year I celebrated Independence Day in the gym. Just like March 8th, birthdays and New Years. Now I can afford the luxury of spending this holiday with my family.

Style: FOBERINI

Brand author: Irina Limarenko

Photo: Denis Gruba

Producer: Ekaterina Zemlyanaya