The Paralympic movement has existed in the world since 1976. This is a tremendous opportunity for people with disabilities to prove to everyone around them, but primarily to themselves, that they are strong in both body and spirit. Russian Paralympians brought our country many victories. This story is about them.
Andrey Anatolyevich was born in Khabarovsk in 1963. From an early age he was interested in shooting, as his father was an avid hunter and often took his son with him into the forest. In fact, he taught Andrei his first shooting lessons.
Later, at the age of fourteen, the boy got into a section where he demonstrated his skills. At fifteen he became a candidate, and at seventeen he became a master of sports. The guy was predicted to have a great future in sports. In 1981 he won the USSR Shooting Championship.
But in 1984, a tragedy occurred, as a result of which Andrei lost his leg. He underwent treatment and rehabilitation for a whole year, and in order to pay for this, Lebedinsky had to sell his equipment.
But as soon as the doctors gave the go-ahead, he returned to the sport, without which he could no longer imagine his life. He made his debut in the national team in 1996, winning three medals at once (two gold and bronze).
Russian Paralympic athletes have always amazed us with their incredible courage, but Andrei Lebedinsky went through a very difficult path to the desired victories. In 1999, he suffered an injury to his right eye and practically lost his sight. And this happened a year before the Olympics. For all 365 days, Andrei learned to aim with his left good eye and trained from morning to night. As a result, in Sydney he became only third. But Athens and Beijing brought two more long-awaited golds to his treasury.
Now Andrey Anatolyevich lives and works in Khabarovsk, coaching children at a sports school.
Albert Bakaev was born in the capital of the Southern Urals. There, in Chelyabinsk, he began his first steps in sports. He started going to the pool at the age of seven and already at fifteen became a master of sports in swimming.
In 1984, trouble burst into his life. During training, he suffered a serious spinal injury. The doctors couldn't do anything about it. Albert was paralyzed. Everyone thought that the fate of a successful athlete and a talented student at the medical academy was decided. He is now chained to But Albert proved to everyone that his life is not over. He began training again and participating in competitions for swimmers with disabilities.
He has several victories in the USSR championships, and many in Russian championships. He became the 1996 Paralympic champion and the owner of several more medals from the World and European Championships.
In addition to his sports career, like many Russian Paralympians, Albert was involved in social activities. Mainly at home, in the Chelyabinsk region, but was also a member of the country's Paralympic Committee.
Albert Bakaev died of a heart attack in 2009.
Rima Akberdinovna has been visually impaired since childhood, but this did not stop her from achieving incredible heights in her sports career.
Since childhood, she has been involved in athletics in a section for people with visual impairments. Then she graduated from a technical school with a degree in Physical Culture, and in 1996 received a higher education at the Ural Academy in the same specialty.
She began competing for the national team back in 1988, when her first Paralympics took place in Seoul. And she triumphantly ended her career in 2008 in Beijing, winning gold in running over several distances.
Russian Paralympians continue to amaze the whole world. Rima Batalova is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as a thirteen-time Paralympic champion and eighteen-time world championship winner.
Not all Russian Paralympians, whose biography is discussed in this article, have disabilities from birth. A beautiful girl was born absolutely healthy in Moscow in 1988. From early childhood she took part in swimming at a sports school, demonstrating success. Became a master of sports. But after entering university, sports faded into the background.
In 2008, a terrible tragedy happened to the girl. She and her friend were vacationing in Thailand. Their tour bus was involved in an accident. The friend died on the spot, and Olesya received severe injuries, as a result of which the girl’s arm was amputated.
To take her mind off difficult thoughts, she returned to sports literally a month after discharge. And six months later, her triumph took place in Beijing, where Olesya took gold in the 100-meter breaststroke.
In London she repeated her success and again set a world record at this distance.
Many famous Russian Paralympians have several state awards for their achievements. The girl who has suffered from visual impairment since childhood was no exception.
Oksana was born in Kamchatka. The doctors did not notice any peculiarities in the child’s condition and calmly discharged the mother and baby from the maternity hospital. The parents raised the alarm when the girl was three months old. She had too many examinations. After all the examinations, ophthalmologists diagnosed her with “congenital glaucoma.”
Thanks to the efforts of her mother, Oksana was operated on in Moscow, but the vision in her right eye could not be restored. The left one sees, but very poorly. Due to Savchenko’s health, she was not recommended to engage in strenuous sports, and then her mother sent her daughter to swimming.
Now Oksana is the owner of three gold medals in Beijing and five won in London. In addition, she is a multiple world record holder at her distances.
Like many Russian Paralympians, Oksana received a higher education diploma: she graduated from the Bashkir Pedagogical University (specialty - physical education) and the Petroleum Technical University in Ufa (specialty - fire safety).
Alexey was born in Krasnoyarsk in 1997. He is one of the youngest athletes included in the top "The most famous Paralympians of Russia." The guy received recognition at the games in Sochi, where he won gold in slalom and super-combination (alpine skiing).
Alexey was born with a terrible diagnosis - “congenital anomaly of the right hand.” The boy’s parents sent him to sports so that he could improve his health, find friends and simply adapt to life. Alexey has been skiing since he was six years old. At fourteen he was already included in the country's Paralympic team. And this brings him success!
Russian Paralympians, whose biography is an example of perseverance and victory over oneself, usually come to the sport at the encouragement of their parents. Mikhalina got into the ski section quite by accident. The older sister took the baby with her to training because there was simply no one to leave her with.
Mikhalina also wanted to try, but due to poor eyesight it was very difficult for her. Her first coach remembers how tenacious she was. The guys didn’t give her any discounts, but she adapted to compete with healthy children. But, of course, there was no need to talk about any special successes.
Everything changed when the girl joined the Paralympic team. Now she is a three-time champion of the Sochi Games.
Russian Paralympians, whose names are still little known, are not going to end their careers after their first victories. Thus, biathlete and skier Alena Kaufman, despite the recent birth of her daughter and a considerable list of achievements, continues to compete.
Alena has suffered from a diagnosis of “weak grasp reflex” since childhood. But, since her parents were active athletes, the girl did not have to choose. As soon as she learned to walk, Alena was put on skis.
Despite her health condition, Alena competes in biathlon, and shooting comes easily to her. This is one of the strongest aspects of her sports career.
In Sochi, the girl won two top medals and added to her championship gold collection.
Famous Russian Paralympians are actively involved in social work, helping children like themselves to believe in themselves and their strengths. For her work, Alena became a laureate of the “Return to Life” award.
Society is accustomed to the fact that disabled people are described in the media as weak, helpless people who require pity. But real examples of physically disabled people who have achieved incredible success indicate a completely opposite result. Today, a disabled person who has achieved success is a real hero. Not only does he not need help, but he himself can provide it to many who want it.
Even for an ordinary person, achieving success in a particular field of activity can be quite difficult. And a disabled person, despite the inadequate attitude of some others, as well as incomplete physical capabilities, in order to achieve a goal similar to a healthy person, must make twice or even three times as much effort. But it's worth it, after crossing all life's obstacles, these people will become a good example and will be able to motivate absolutely everyone. To better understand the scale of the greatness of these, it is worth remembering some of them.
Born on December 4, 1982 in a family of emigrants from Serbia. He has a rare genetic disease - tetraamelia. This disabled person is deprived by nature of both arms and legs. Nick's only limb is one small foot, 10–15 cm, with two toes that are fused together. All the parents could do to help their child was to persuade the doctors to perform an operation on him to separate the fused fingers. This surgical intervention was enough for the little boy, and as a result he achieved great success in life.
First, with incredible efforts, he learned to type, and then he began to write motivational letters, which were extremely popular not only among sick people, but also among healthy people. Worried about his appearance, this strong-willed disabled person mastered the principles of positive psychology. He concluded that all complexes and fears occur solely due to negative thoughts. By clearing your mind, you can completely change everything in your life.
Today, Nick Vujicic works as a motivational speaker, invited to speak on all continents. Mostly his speeches are listened to by disabled people and people who, for certain reasons, have lost the meaning in life. In addition to success, the courageous disabled person has other joys in life - a beautiful wife and an absolutely healthy son.
British writer, born 1952. Unlike Nick, Anna did not even receive parental support as a child. Due to the careless handling of the mother, literally a few days after birth, the baby suffered a head injury. Because of her, a disabled girl became intellectually disabled. Noticing the child’s growing mental retardation, her family sent her to an orphanage. In this institution, the girl noticed that she was different from healthy people and immediately began to actively work on herself. The task ahead was difficult, because even the teachers did not help her. Having found the alphabet on the shelves, the girl spent months studying the meaning of one letter. Having learned to read, Anna did not miss a single book that fell into her hands.
Having literally developed her talent as a writer with great effort, the already young girl wrote a memoir entitled “Anna’s Exit,” describing her many difficulties on the path to growing up. The memoirs achieved worldwide recognition and were later filmed. As a result, the disabled woman became a welcome guest on foreign channels and significantly improved her financial condition. After this, Anna MacDonald wrote a large number of books, got married successfully, and began active charitable work with people who also have certain physical and mental disabilities. The writer says about her activities:
“Of course, all disabled people can find their calling in life, for this they only need help to gain faith in themselves”
This Irish artist became the hero of the biographical film My Left Foot, which received an Oscar statuette shortly after the film adaptation. Christie is an unusual invalid, he was born mentally handicapped, and the only thing he could move was his left leg. Relatives, and especially the boy’s mother, surrounded him with complete love and attention. The boy was often read fairy tales, explained the necessity of each action, and told about what was happening. Such regular work made it possible to achieve significant success in the development of the child - the disabled person became much more intelligent.
One day, Christy's little sister accidentally dropped the chalk, and the five-year-old boy, with incredible effort, picked it up and began to move it across the floor. Noticing new skills, the disabled person was immediately sent by his parents to writing and drawing lessons. Ten years later, Christy Brown achieved incredible heights - his wonderful paintings, filled with talent, were actively bought up by art connoisseurs, and interesting, instructive and motivational articles were published in the most popular newspapers in Ireland. This disabled person could control only one leg, and even then, his left one, and became a role model even for outstanding contemporary artists. This case, in addition to the power of working on oneself, also testifies to the importance of family. Disabled people should be surrounded with love and attention from childhood, and a child who has physical or mental disabilities should be developed as much as possible, spending all his free time on it.
Without legs, Oscar Pistorius achieved outstanding success in sports. The young man was disabled from birth, but this did not stop him from achieving his goal - to move. Through incredible work, Oscar became a track and field runner, who was even allowed to compete with completely physically capable opponents.
Now Pistorius is actively promoting sports around the world, supporting people with disabilities in their desire to engage in physical competitions, and organizing various programs in this direction. In fact, he has become the most successful disabled athlete who constantly confirms that physical problems cannot be a hindrance on the way to the desired goal.
Russian Roman Petushkov is a five-time world champion in cross-country skiing and biathlon for persons with musculoskeletal disorders in 2013.
Multiple winner of the World Cup, silver and bronze medalist of the Paralympic Games, twice the best athlete of the world according to the International Paralympic Committee.
Michalina Lysova- Honored Master of Sports of Russia, Paralympic champion in the cross-country skiing relay and bronze medalist in the biathlon pursuit among visually impaired athletes at the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver. According to her, she became interested in sports as a child, in her native Nizhny Tagil, and did not even dream of such great achievements in the future.
A native of the Bashkir village of Kayrakovo Kirill Mikhailov I became actively involved in sports back in 1993. Kirill is an Honored Master of Sports of Russia in cross-country skiing, as well as athlete of the year according to GQ. Married, the couple have two sons - Daniel and Kornil. Kirill Mikhailov showed by his example that sport is destiny. He dreamed of making a sports career and showed good results, but a serious injury in an accident put an end to his hopes for medals in big-time sports. However, Kirill was able to muster his will and decided
Paralympic champion in cross-country skiing relay and winner of a silver medal in biathlon pursuit among visually impaired athletes at the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver Lyubov Vasilyeva- Honored Master of Sports of Russia. Since childhood, Vasilyeva was surrounded by sports - while working out with healthy kids, Lyuba skied, ran and danced. No matter how hard it was, she always strived to be first. Lyubov was successful not only in sports, but also in art - she drew very well.
Two-time Paralympic champion and silver medalist at the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver Maria Iovleva started skiing at the age of 10. Currently, Maria has the status of Honored Master of Sports and is preparing to compete at the Paralympic Games in Sochi.
Prize-winner of the 10th Winter Paralympic Games Anna Burmistrova- winner of 5 gold awards, as well as 4 silver ones. In March 2010, she was awarded the Order of Honor for her great contribution to the development of physical education and sports, as well as for her high achievements at the 10th Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. According to Anna, she started playing sports at the age of 6. At first, her mother sent her to swimming for general development (Anna has bilateral plexitis, Erb's palsy (partial immobility of the arm caused by an injury to the brachial plexus during childbirth). The doctors unanimously told the athlete that she couldn't train, but the girl's mother insisted. Already At the age of 14, Anna Burmistrova joined the national team and performed at the international level.
Skier Irek Zaripov- champion in cross-country skiing and biathlon. Irek lost his legs in 2000 when he was hit by a truck on his motorcycle. For two years after that, he lived, in his words, like a plant, not understanding why he was needed in this world. Only thanks to sports, which his parents convinced him to take up, he regained the ability to enjoy life. To get back in shape, Irek began training hard. As a result, 4 gold medals at the 2010 games in Vancouver. Irek dedicates his victories in Vancouver to everyone, as he himself said: “who contributed to my development, who supported me - these are my parents, my wife, and my son.”
Alexandra Frantseva- Russian champion in alpine skiing, winner of the European Cup, participant of the Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Alexander was born on April 24, 1987 in the Kamchatka Territory. Performs in the category of visually impaired athletes. In 2013, at the final stage of the 2013 IPC World Cup in alpine skiing, she won gold in speed disciplines and won the title of absolute winner of the World Cup in her category. Alexandra Frantseva – “Our champion of Sochi 2014” since 2012, represents the Far Eastern Federal District in the project. The athlete plans to take part in the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.
Cases where athletes become disabled after an injury received during training or competition are, unfortunately, not uncommon.
The list of the most traumatic sports is dominated by contact team games, such as football, hockey, rugby, basketball, volleyball, and handball. This list has recently included artistic gymnastics.
The famous gymnast, absolute world champion, 20-year-old Elena Mukhina, on July 3, 1980, 16 days before the opening of the Moscow Olympics, received a severe injury during training - a fracture of the cervical spine and remained forever confined to a wheelchair. She passed away in December 2006.
In 1992, during the National Sports Acrobatics Championship, World Cup winner Sergei Pogiba tried to perform an exercise during the warm-up, but lost his orientation in the air and landed on his head instead of his feet. Sergei Pogiba is paralyzed; his lower body remains motionless.
Football player Yuri Tishkov (Dynamo Moscow) was seriously injured on July 5, 1993. In the 13th minute of the match of the 1/16 finals of the Russian Cup in Kolomna, local Viktor Avangard player Bodak, trying to make a tackle, crashed into Dynamo forward Yuri Tishkov with both legs from behind. A fracture of the fibula actually put an end to the career of the talented striker.
At the end of his career, he worked as a television commentator on the TVC and Rossiya channels. He was a coach at the Torpedo-ZIL sports school named after Valery Voronin. He headed the guild of sports journalists "Media Union". Tragically died on January 11, 2003.
The famous Romanian gymnast, champion of the Atlanta Olympics, Alexandra Marinescu injured her spine during training in 1997 and was forced to leave the sport at the age of 15. To avoid complete paralysis, she underwent three major operations and remained disabled for life.
17-year-old Chinese gymnast San Lan was injured while warming up before the competition on July 21, 1998, during the Goodwill Games in New York. In the vault, she took off extremely unsuccessfully from the projectile and, having lost her bearings, fell headfirst onto the mats. The seven-hour operation, just as in the case of Elena Mukhina, stabilized the athlete’s condition, but failed to restore her motor functions.
On September 15, 2001, Alessandro Zanardi, a famous Italian racing driver who competed in the Formula 1 series, was involved in a serious accident. In a race at the Lausitzring in Germany, one of the first European rounds in the history of the Champ Car, Zanardi lost control and his Reynard spun across the track. The next second, the car of Canadian Alex Tagliani crashed into him. The Italian's car was cut in half and he lost both legs up to the knee.
Doctors made Zanardi prosthetic legs on which he was able to walk. After completing a rehabilitation program, Zanardi returned to racing using specially equipped manual cars.
One of the most promising gymnasts in Russia, silver medalist of the World Championships in the team Maria Zasypkina, in November 2001, while training at the Lake Krugloye base near Moscow, received a severe injury, as a result of which she was paralyzed.
Later, Maria Zasypkina graduated from the Institute of Physical Education, worked as a teacher in a dance studio, and now has become a coach at her native gymnastics school.
German gymnast Johan Hablik broke a cervical vertebra as a result of a fall in November 2002 and since then his left arm has been paralyzed.
One of the leaders of the German artistic gymnastics team, Ronnie Ziesmer, was injured in July 2004 while preparing for the upcoming Olympic Games. While performing floor exercises, he did his signature element - a double somersault - and landed right on his head. As a result, the athlete suffered a fracture of the cervical vertebra and serious damage to the spine. Ronnie's only facial muscles are active, and his entire body below the neck is completely paralyzed.
