Press Centre

‘BEND BUT NOT BREAK’

At the end of September 2014  senior students of 1306 were welcoming a prominent Russian sportswoman and  politician Svetlana Sergevna Zhurova on a traditional meeting at the Club of Young Politicians.

When Svetlana Zhurova appeared on  the doorstep with a big smile, it was obvious that she did not need any special introduction. Never has any honoured guest entered the room of the Club so vigorously. Her movements are light and precise. They belong to a person who is used to achieve her goals.

Bursting applause is dying down. As usual, there are plenty of questions to ask because personalities like  Svetlana Sergeevna have a lot to say. Almost immediately the meeting took on a ‘question-answer’ fomat.

Five-time winner of Russian sprint multiathlon Svetlana Zhurova told the students about her childhood, exhausting training, school studies and public work. She has a definite answer for the obvious question ‘How did you manage to combine it all?’. She pronounces simply one word which possesses her whole life principle in it – ‘self-discipline’.

— I have always had a solid inner core, — Svetlana Sergeevna says. — I have always achieved my goals. I am trying to teach it to my son now. When he hears about his mother going on foot on a 6 am training, he is ashamed of complaining at a heavy schoolbag or tiredness after school.

The Olympic champion is laughing contagiously. And it seems that everything comes easy for her and the things she is talking about had happened not to her but belong to somebody else’s story. Svetlana Sergeevna has got a wonderful sense of humour. We are attracted by her manner of speech, her ability to understand the interlocutor and the talent of lifting up the mood of her listeners. Not only is she an interesting interlocutor but a marvellous orator.

— What unites sports and politics? – Svetlana Sergeevna is asking, and gives an answer herself. — Both of them must be fair. There has to be more politics in sport and more sport in  politics. I have always been an active citizen. I realized that if I do not go into speed skating, I would fully engage myself in public activity.

— When you come to the fact that you have achieved everything in this field, you get bored. There are plenty of  medals but no drive, — the Olympic champion goes on. Svetlana Zhurova has  managed to realize her ambitions both in sports and politics.

In 2007 Svetlana Zhurova received a deputy mandate of Legislative Assembly in Leningrad region from ‘United Russia’ political party. She is now a deputy of State Duma Federal Assembly of  Russian Federation and a member of the High Council of ‘United Russia’ party. Svetlana Sergeevna speaks about principles of work in the Duma with the same excitement as when she speaks about sport. It is truly engaging!

Svetlana Zhurova was speaking more  of her ambitions and how much effort she had put into letting her dreams come  true rather than how much she had achieved. She fascinated everyone who came on a meeting with the most charming deputy of the State Duma that day.

Svetlana Sergeevna, thank you for finding time for meeting with us!
…Never has any honoured guest left the room of the Club so vigorously.
Elizaveta Novoselova, 11 Year student, Member of Young Politicians Club

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