Olympic Champion Inspires Young Fencers in Odesa
Olympic fencing champion Alina Komashchuk met with young fencers from KDYUSH №13 as part of the NOC of Ukraine's #OlympicLab initiative, focusing on "Olympic and universal values." This was reported by the press service of the NOC of Ukraine's Odesa region.
Meetings between top Odesa fencers and young athletes from KDYUSH №13 have become a wonderful tradition; various events featuring Olena Kravatska and Andriy Yahodka have taken place under the #OlympicLab initiative. For Alina, this was her first such meeting, but her competitive schedule this year has been very busy, allowing her to visit Odesa only for a week before the upcoming competitive block starting next week with the Ukrainian Cup in Kyiv. The young fencers have their own preparations for the cadet European circuit tournament, which will take place in Istanbul on October 11-12. The meeting was held in the sports hall of KDYUSH №13 (75 Novoselskoho St., Odesa).
At the beginning of the event, Alina, who achieved her highest accomplishments this year with a bronze and silver medal at the World and European Championships respectively, shared key moments of her career and answered numerous questions from the young athletes. Alina's personal coach, Oleksandr Vasyutin, a distinguished coach of Ukraine and the mentor of KDYUSH №13, also participated in the event.
Champion's Advice
Rest is crucial for recovery, along with proper nutrition, rehabilitation, and cool-downs in the gym. All these components are vital. I wasn’t always as professional and aware of these aspects, but now I understand that neglecting them held me back from achieving even better results.
You need to start behaving like professional athletes and consider all the elements I mentioned in your training.
How many times have I lost—entering the "4" or "8"?! I’ve beaten strong opponents, but at the last moment, I couldn’t allow myself to win because I didn’t believe. You must believe!
During the World Championship, I fought against Sara Balzer, whom I had never beaten, neither in team nor individual competitions. I told myself, "I won't give up this medal! No way!".
And then I focused solely on fencing, not allowing myself to think I might lose. And it worked.
During the event, the young sabre fencers gained not only championship advice but also a winning boost for their upcoming competitions, connecting with Alina’s achievements this year—her medals from the World and European Championships.
At the end, the athletes received gifts from the NOC of Ukraine in the Odesa region, after which they eagerly sought Alina’s autographs. The champion signed shirts, gloves, and, of course, weapons.
