WORDS OF WISDOM IN MONACO
areas, introducing young families and their children to sports. Sport
selves. Don’t give up, don’t succumb to difficulties, learn to overcome
can actually change your life for the better. Decent conditions need
life’s problems. As the Champions for Peace, we are living examples
be created, however, to make it possible. I believe that ten years from
of it.
now, we will be able to change the situation for the better. The new
generation will be growing up healthy and strong. I just want to show
I am happy to be a part of this movement, to be attending Peace and
children from orphanages that they really matter. They may have a
Sport events and its Forum. On April 6, on the occasion of the «Inter-
difficult life, but sports and discipline may indeed enable them to be-
national Sports Day for development and peace», we are raising white
come our future heroes.
cards for peace in the world. This blank sheet of paper symbolizes our
forgetting and forgiving all offenses. We stand for a healthy lifestyle
HM: Yelena, what is your personal story of how you were introduced
and friendship no matter what nationality and religion we are. Sports
to sports?
is indeed a unique and powerful tool for establishing peace and rec-
Ye.I: My parents worked really hard to somehow make money. My
onciling warring parties.
mother had three jobs; same for my father. They did not have enough
time for my sister and myself. They signed us up for sports so that we
HM: Was a transition from competitions to normal life a difficult mo-
didn’t just hang out in the street. Although we didn’t always necessarily
ment for you? What has helped you find your mission outside sports?
feel like it, eventually, we did take to it. Our parents made sure we did.
Ye.I: It is indeed a huge problem for all professional sportsmen. The
I now understand that they did the right thing, and I want the same for
IOC members are now working hard on creating special training pro-
my own children.
grams for athletes to consider their future
after professional sports. Life does not
Sports is a unique
HM: Does that mean that you want your
end with your sports career. For me, the
children to become professional athletes?
transition happened very quickly. There
and
powerful
tool
Ye.I: We are dreaming that our son be-
has hardly been a descent from the Olym-
comes a professional hockey player. We
pus to an ordinary life as such. My com-
for establishing peace and
need to start looking into the best schools
mitment with IOC is giving me motivation
reconciling warring parties. and time to think about my future plans.
for him for this purpose... We are asking
around including our friends and hockey
This is a volunteer, but a very prestigious
players, from different cities. We under-
mission giving me an opportunity to share
stand that it is important to get into a good school, into the right en-
my sports experience with this movement. I am open to different op-
vironment. With our daughter, it is a little bit more difficult. She is a
tions, however.
gymnast, but she is becoming very tall as she is taking after her father.
I wouldn’t want her to do pole vaulting. This is a very dangerous sport,
HM: What is the role of money in your life? How important is it to you?
and as a mother I am worried about her. If she does choose to follow in
Ye.I: My financial situation is, alas, not as stable as it used to be with
my footsteps, however, we will naturally support her decision. But let’s
sports. My main source of income at the moment is that from being a
see. It could be tennis, it could be volleyball. Both my husband and her
speaker. I get invited as a speaker to different events. This is a highly
grandfather are professional volleyball players.
paid job as I am a high-profile athlete. I also sign certain sponsorship
deals. I only accept the most worthy and well-paid contracts with a
HM: Are you a strict mom?
minimum of one year commitment. One-offs are not my thing.
Ye.I: My husband keeps telling me that I am very soft and absolutely
not designed for raising children. As for him, he is quite strict. We are
thus a combination of good cop, bad cop. I’m trying to change this,
however, since I want their father to be a special treat for them and
myself, to be a life guide.
HM: You once said quite pointedly: «My strength is in the truth that
I hold. But you need to suffer for the truth, fight for it. Even if I get
banged on my head for it once or twice, I still won’t change my opin-
ion». Are you still that adamant or has motherhood made you some-
what softer, allowing certain adjustments?
Ye.I: As far as my family and parenting are concerned, I am, of course,
not that straightforward and unflinching. Running your family is not
the same as your job. We need to know how to compromise to benefit
from the love, respect and warmth which will always be there. But as
far as my Foundation and the International Olympic Committee are in-
volved, I am just as principled. I sometimes even seem to be too harsh.
This, of course, does not always work in my favour. I do believe, howev-
er, that if my point of view is different, I should at least make it known.
HM: You are also a Champion for Peace in the Monaco Peace and
Sport foundation. Tell us about your cooperation, in particular, within
the framework of the upcoming Peace and Sport forum held in the
Principality on December 11–13.
Ye.I: The Peace and Sport main mission is to improve challenging
situations in different countries through sports. Introducing children
to sports can give them hope for a better life if they work hard them-
Hello Monaco Winter 2019–2020 / 37
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