Famous Paraolympians of Russia

Paralympic movement in the world exists since 1976. This is a tremendous opportunity for people with disabilities to prove to everyone around them, but first of all to themselves, that they are strong both in body and spirit. Paralympic athletes of Russia brought many victories to our country. This story is about them.

Andrei Lebedinsky

Andrei Anatolyevich was born in Khabarovsk in 1963. From an early age, he was fond of shooting, because his father was an avid hunter and often took his son with him to the forest. Actually, he taught Andrei the first lessons of shooting.

Only then, at the age of fourteen, the boy got into the section of bullet shooting, where he demonstrated his skills. At the age of fifteen he became a candidate, and at seventeen he became a master of sports. The guy was predicted a great sporting future. In 1981, he won the USSR Shooting Championship.

But in 1984 there was a tragedy, as a result of which Andrei lost his leg. For a whole year he underwent treatment and rehabilitation, and to pay for this, Lebedinsky had to sell his equipment.

But as soon as the doctors gave good, he returned to the sport, without which he no longer thought of his life. In the national team he debuted in 1996, winning three medals at once (two gold and bronze).

Russian athletes and paralympic athletes have always amazed with their incredible willpower and courage, but Andrei Lebedinsky has gone a very hard way to the desired victories. In 1999, he suffered a trauma to the right eye, almost lost his sight. And this happened a year before the Olympics. All 365 days Andrew studied to aim left healthy eye and trained from morning to night. As a result, he became only third in Sydney. But Athens and Beijing brought in his treasury two more long-awaited gold.

Now Andrei lives and works in Khabarovsk, training children in a sports school.

Albert Bakaev

Albert Bakaev was born in the capital of the Southern Urals. In the same place, in Chelyabinsk, he began his first steps in sports. Go to the pool, he began with seven years and already at fifteen became a master of sports in swimming.

In 1984, his life broke into trouble. In training, he received a serious spinal injury. Doctors could not help it. Albert was paralyzed. Everyone thought that the fate of a successful athlete and talented student of the medical academy was solved. He is now chained to a wheelchair. But Albert proved to everyone that this is his life is not over. He again began to train, participate in competitions of swimmers with disabilities.

On his account, several victories in the championships of the USSR, many - in the championships of Russia. He became the Paralympic champion of 1996 and the owner of several medals from the world championships and Europe.

In addition to his sports career, like many Russian paralympians, Albert was engaged in public activities. Mainly in his own country, in the Chelyabinsk region, but he was also a member of the Paralympic Committee of the country.

Albert Bakaev died of a heart attack in 2009.

Rima Batalov

Rima Akberdinovna was visually impaired from her childhood, but this did not prevent her from achieving incredible heights in her sports career.

Since childhood, she has been involved in athletics in the section for people with visual impairments. Then she graduated from the technical school in the direction of "Physical Culture", in 1996 she received higher education in the Ural Academy for the same specialty.

To play for the national team, she started back in 1988, when her first Paralympic Games took place in Seoul. And triumphantly completed her career in 2008 in Beijing, winning gold in the race at several distances.

The Russian paralympic players continue to amaze the whole world. Rima Batalova entered the Guinness Book of Records as a thirteen-time champion of the Paralympic Games and an eighteen-time winner of the world championship.

Olesya Vladykina

Not all Russian Paralympians, whose biography is covered in this article, have limited opportunities since birth. Beautiful girl Olesya Vladyakina was born absolutely healthy, in Moscow, in 1988. Since early childhood, she was engaged in swimming in a sports school, showing success. She became a master of sports. But after entering the university, the sport faded into the background.

In 2008, a terrible tragedy occurred to the girl. She traveled with her friend in Thailand. Their sightseeing bus got into an accident. A girlfriend died on the spot, and Olesya was seriously injured, as a result of which the girl was amputated.

In order to escape from heavy thoughts, she literally returned to the sport a month after she was discharged. And six months later, her triumph in Beijing took place, where Olesya took gold at 100 meters distance breaststroke.

In London she repeated her success and again set a world record at this distance.

Oksana Savchenko

Many famous paralympic players of Russia have several state awards for their achievements. Was not an exception and Oksana Savchenko, a girl who, from childhood, suffers from a visual impairment.

Oksana was born in Kamchatka. Doctors did not notice any features in the state of the child and quietly discharged mother and baby from the hospital. The alarm was caused by parents when the girl was three months old. Her pupils were too dilated. After all the examinations, ophthalmologists diagnosed - "congenital glaucoma".

Due to the efforts of my mother, Oksana was operated in Moscow, but her vision on the right eye could not be restored. The left sees, but very badly. Because of the state of health Savchenko was not recommended to engage in heavy sports, and then my mother gave her daughter on a voyage.

Now Oksana is the owner of three gold medals of 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 diploma of higher education: she graduated from the Bashkir Pedagogical University (specialty - physical culture) and the Oil Technical University in Ufa (specialty - fire safety).

Alexey Bugaev

Alexey was born in Krasnoyarsk in 1997. He is one of the youngest athletes in the top "The most famous paralympic athletes of Russia". Recognition guy got at the games in Sochi, where he won gold in the slalom and super-combination (mountain skiing).

Aleksey was born with a terrible diagnosis - "congenital anomaly of the right hand." Parents gave the boy a sport that he strengthened his health, found friends and just adapted to life. On mountain skiing Alexei from the age of six. At fourteen he was already in the Paralympic team of the country. And this brings him success!

Mikhalina Lysova

Paraolympic athletes of Russia, whose biography is an example of strength of mind, perseverance and victory over themselves, usually come into the sport with the presentation of their parents. Mikhalina got into the ski section quite by accident. The older sister took the baby with her to the training, because there was simply no one to leave her with.

Michalina also wanted to try, but because of poor vision she was very tight. Her first coach remembers what a stubborn character she had. The guys did not give her a discount, and she adjusted to compete with healthy children. But, of course, it was not necessary to speak about special successes.

Everything changed when the girl got into the Paralympic team. Now she is a three-time champion of games in Sochi.

Alain Kaufman

The Russian Paralympians, whose names and surnames are little known, are not going to finish their careers after the first victories. So, biathlonist and skier Alena Kaufman, despite the recent birth of her daughter and a rather big list of achievements, competes further.

Alena from childhood suffered from the diagnosis of "weak grasping reflex". But, since her parents were acting athletes, the girl did not have to choose. As soon as she learned to walk, Alena was put on skis.

Despite the state of health, Alena performs in biathlon, and shooting is given to her easily. This is one of the strongest aspects of her sports career.

In Sochi, the girl won two medals of the highest dignity and joined the treasury of her champion gold.

Famous Russian paralympians are actively engaged in social work, helping the same children, like themselves, to believe in themselves and their forces. For her work, Alena became a laureate of the "Return to Life" award.