Oksana Savchenko is a Russian swimmer. Eight-time champion of the 2008 and 2012 Summer Paralympics, Honored Master of Sports is engaged in social activities.
From an early age, Oksana Vladimirovna had to go through a lot. The result of the difficulties was a strong character that no one and nothing could break. Already at sixteen, the girl became the world champion in swimming.
Sports achivments
The biography of the athlete began in 1990. The girl was born in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on October 10. In early childhood, the baby was diagnosed with a serious eye disease. After several operations, the disease was stopped, but his eyesight remained weak. Both the girl and her family had to get used to this situation.
Five-year-old Ksyusha's mother began to take to the pool. She dreamed that her daughter would not have physical limitations. Oksana had to spend a lot of effort on her studies, but the future athlete did not quit swimming. Natalya Vladimirovna Sadovskaya studied with her. She immediately noted the abilities of the student. The next mentor was the honored coach Vladimir Vasilyevich Revyakin.
At the world championship, Oksana at thirteen won a prize. Then Savchenko became a candidate for the country's Paralympic team. After completing schooling at the family council, it was decided to send Oksana to Ufa to train with Igor Tveryakov.
After receiving three gold medals in Beijing, Savchenko finally moved to Ufa. Oksana remained as outgoing and outgoing as before the champion title. In Ireland, at the European championship, the girl became the silver medalist. Oksana decided to train more in order to occupy only the top step of the podium.
In the Paralympic movement, all athletes are strictly divided into classes that compete with each other. It is impossible to get around the tough commissions. All participants prepare for increased attention. The coach also warned Oksana about this. The London Paralympics were widely covered, forcing people to change their attitude towards athletes. The famous swimmer Olesya Vladykina became the symbol of the games.
Social activity
The mentor advised Savchenko to get a higher education. The girl studied at two universities in the city. In teaching, she chose the faculty of physical education, in oil she specialized in fire safety. The athlete successfully completed her studies in both areas. In 2014, Savchenko continued her studies at the Bashkir Academy under the President of the BR, deciding to try her hand at work in politics.
Oksana is self-confident, calm and collected. She cannot imagine life without sports. Oksana calls the Paralympic Games a real example of fighting problems and recommends watching them to those who consider their problems insoluble. The girl is sure that it is important to talk about those who are involved in such sports so that people understand that not everything is lost.
The athlete is engaged in the promotion of a healthy life. She shot a video about visually impaired and hearing impaired swimmers. The video version was filmed by professionals. The main task of the project was that everything can be achieved and mastered. Abroad, the three-minute history won the main prizes. Savchenko dreams of making films about blind judokas and wheelchair fencers.
The swimmer believes that it is imperative to go to sports in a difficult situation. So far, Savchenko's attempts to interest people around him in social advertising have not been crowned with success for their homeland, but this is only the beginning.
Oksana has not yet found time for her personal life. She doesn't break her usual daily routine for a second. After an early breakfast, begins a workout that lasts until lunch. Then a break for a nap, then a second workout before dinner. Oksana swims about 10-20 km during this period. Next - night rest. Sunday afternoon is different from the rest of the rest until noon and day walks.
Awards and prospects
Exhausting workouts are terrible for a champion. She is saddened by the non-compliance of the Ufa basin with international standards. The length of the tracks is only 25 m, but it is necessary - 50. At the competition, the Ufa athletes have to move around. Visually impaired swimmers count their strokes to determine when to turn.
The coach strikes the water with a pole to warn of the proximity of the rim. But this does not negate the injury. It takes at least a week for a normal restructuring. Otherwise, you can lose speed and victory. To inform the participants of their positions in London, bulbs were placed near the starting tables. If one lights up - the swimmer took first place, none - there are no prizes.
Savchenko has not considered his awards for a long time. In her opinion, there are at least a hundred prizes. About half of this amount, exclusively gold, was won only in the World Cups. Since 2003, Oksana has won 124 medals.
In 2009, the Paralympian received the Order of Honor. In 2012, the girl was awarded the Order of Friendship for her contribution to the development of sports. Bashkiria noted the merits of her compatriot with the Order of Salavat Yulaev and Friendship of Peoples.
After being suspended from participation in the games in Rio in 2016, the eight-time champion said that without the Russian Paralympians, Brazilian competitions would turn into a boring spectacle.
The wrestling broadcasted on TV channels in the Moscow region was not inferior to the Brazilian Paralympics in level. New records were set and worthy awards received. Preparations are underway for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
In sports, Oksana did not do without curiosities. So, on the first day of the competition in China, the athlete came out in an unmarked swimsuit. The ban on this form of clothing was a surprise. A quarter of an hour before the start, the swimmer had to run around the entire pool in search of a coach and change at great speed. Already at the start, the girl realized that she was very tired, there was almost no hope of winning. But the “bronze” became a good consolation and an indicator that the main thing in such situations is not to give up.
