Olympic champion in athletics Yulia Chermoshanskaya knows like no one else: in order to win Olympic gold, not only concentration, endurance and will to win are important. As with any girl, it is important for her to look and feel great every day - both in the sports arena under the sight of TV cameras, and in everyday life. How does she do it?
Any relay is a performance watched by thousands of people. Is it difficult in such situations to remain confident?
In principle, it is not difficult, the main thing is to believe in yourself and in what you are doing. For example, before a performance I usually remember how much energy I spent and how much work I have already done. It helps me to be 100% confident and not pay attention to the crowd of thousands. I believe that self-confidence is the key to success not only in sports, but also in life. That is why I love being the face of the Discreet brand. This product is designed to make us girls feel confident and beautiful.
Julia, you are not only an athlete, but, above all, a woman. Do you have your own secrets that help you feel confident?
In addition to the usual dressing rituals for every girl, leaving the house, I tune in to a positive wave, and others notice it, and my day is going well. After all, when you are in a good mood, you literally glow from the inside, and this has the most positive effect on the external beauty.
Why did you decide to become an athlete? Was it your childhood dream?
It was not a dream, but a childhood hobby. Since childhood, I had an excellent example in the person of my mother, who had a long, successful career in big sports. Like all children, I wanted to imitate my parents.
Your mom is your coach. Do you think it complicates or simplifies your workouts? Do you consider your mom your best friend?
Most likely it helps. Mom has a huge sports experience behind her shoulders, which she shares with me. My mom is not only the closest person in the world to me, with whom I can share absolutely everything, but also a wonderful coach who really has a lot to learn from.
How do you assess the level of your training at the moment? Are you ready for the Olympics? Already set up to take gold?
I trained and prepared a lot, so I really hope so, I will do everything in my power.
Diet is an important component of sports training. What's in your diet and why? Do you allow yourself to eat something sweet or are you eating the right food?
Diet is a really important component of sports training and, perhaps, any athlete should adhere to proper nutrition and not allow himself to eat something extra, especially in the preparatory period before the competition. For example, I have eliminated sugar, bread, chocolate, cookies and the like from my diet. Of course, you always want something sweet, but you always need to weigh what is more important to you. I mainly eat meat, vegetables and fruits are also required in the diet. I don't drink any juices because there is a lot of sugar. From drinks I prefer water with lemon.
Does the ban also apply to freshly squeezed juices?
Freshly squeezed can be. Orange, carrot with cream - any. Well, after the competition, you can even eat some kind of cake, but it is advisable to use fewer sweets, because carrying an extra load with you when 2-3 kilograms sticks is the same as hanging dumbbells on yourself and running with them. When there is excess weight, the knees, joints, feet suffer because of the load - all this is traumatic, so it seems to me that all athletes adhere to a certain diet.
Tell us how you spend your time in between preparing for serious competition. Do you have any favorite hobbies or places you like to be?
If I leave for competitions, and they are not too large, then I like to leave a few days earlier and, in my free time, explore cities and sights. Since we travel a lot around the world, there are many interesting places that I have visited and that I want to visit. But if this is a major competition, then a free schedule is inadmissible, we have a clear schedule - warm-up, rest, etc. Well, after the competition, you can safely go for a walk, if time permits, since we usually have a schedule of stay in the country for 3-4 days. At home, if I have free time from training, I like to walk. Usually discos and parties are canceled right away, because it happens that you come back from a workout and no longer want to go anywhere, so I go there very rarely, but it happens that I visit cinemas and cafes. I also love outdoor activities, for example, going with friends to some sports and entertainment complex and playing bowling.
Julia, you mentioned that participating in competitions, you travel a lot. Do you have a favorite country?
I really liked Paris, probably like any person who has been there at least once. It just happened that I did not make it to the European Championship due to an injury, and my husband and I decided to go there to relax and watch the championship. When you come to the competition, you don't think about anything except the start, you have no time for the Eiffel Tower. And here, during 10 days of our stay, we watched the competition with pleasure and walked all over Paris on foot. I really liked it, I would love to return there. In general, there are many interesting places in the world, I have never been to America or Australia, but I dream of visiting these countries.
Do you attend any social events? Do you sometimes want to walk confidently in a dazzling dress?
In fact, we have such a tight schedule that we spend about 8-9 months a year at training camps, i.e. this is a stadium, training, hotel. Therefore, when you come home, you want to spend more time with loved ones, with your family. But sometimes, according to our mood, of course, we attend interesting events. Sometimes you don't want to go anywhere at all, even if it's a super-cool party, but sometimes it's the other way around - you want to go out because it's boring. Basically, my schedule does not allow me to get out often. But, I would like to note that with a confident gait in a dazzling dress, you can, in principle, walk not only at a social event. If you want, you can just dress beautifully and appear in all its glory, even in front of ordinary passers-by on the street.
Do you have your own little female weaknesses?
They say that sweets are the main female weakness, but this is not about me. I won't die if I don't eat cheesecake. But about beautiful things - women's weaknesses are present. Sometimes you see some super-branded item, watch or jewelry in a store and think: “Don't I really deserve it?” - you go and buy. So, it happens that I make unplanned purchases, not too necessary, but desired. For example, the last time I bought myself a bag in Portugal, not the cheapest one, but I wanted to. Spun and spun around her, walked around and realized - I remember her too often, went and bought.
Julia, you have achieved incredible heights in sports, you have achieved the cherished goal of any professional athlete - you have become an Olympic champion. Share your recipe for success. How can young girls achieve their cherished goal and become more self-confident?
It seems to me that you always need to be confident in yourself, strive for your dream, because both in sports and in life there are ups and downs, you need to be on a positive wave. If something happens, you do not need to be upset, but to move with a confident gait forward towards the intended goal. Probably, in any field of activity, not only in sports, you just need to go to the end, even if something does not come out right away. If you work hard, in any case everything will work out!
