Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: “The advice to love yourself is trite, but it’s easier for you to live with the person you love than with the person you don’t accept.”
Interview with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva about personal life, plans to end her career and empress title.
source: kp.ru dd. 3 March 2023 by Angelina Sharipova
The Finals of the Russian Grand Prix takes place March 4th. How is the preparation going?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: Training is going well. I was a little unsettled by some health problems after the Channel One Cup, but now everything is fine, I am in acceptable shape.
Many withdrew from this competitions (Gleb Litfullin, Elizaveta Pasechnik / Maxim Nekrasov, Alexandra Trusova and others). The press began to discuss that athletes simply do not consider these competitions so important. Mass withdrawals – is it a coincidence or ignoring?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: Coincidence, because this is a good competition to end the season. It is quite responsible. And it seems to me that when an athlete is in good shape, they are only happy to perform at such a wonderful event. I think there were good reasons for people who withdrew from the competitions.
They say about actors that if you are not worried before going on stage, then it’s time to change your profession. You already have so many competitions behind your back, is there still a tremor before going on the ice?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: Sure. I think this excitement will never go away. In any case, every time you go on the ice in front of the public you have to work hard, skate in front of the judges. There are always different states, so the excitement is present. Just sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. It seems to me that with experience my body is already accustomed to this state. But it’s not that kind of excitement that puts you in a stupor, on the contrary, it helps you to perform better.
This is your 11th season. Have you ever thought about leaving professional sports and doing something else?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: I have never had such cardinal thoughts. I always wanted to perform, always wanted to skate.
You launched your own clothing brand; this is also a kind of going into business. Do you see yourself in this?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: Maybe, but I don’t have much experience with it. It was not going into business, just an opportunity to try something new, which would not interfere with training and achieving results. I would not even call it some kind of a big project because my first priority has always been sports. It’s definitely too early to talk about going into business, but maybe someday it will happen.
Fans call you the Empress. Do you associate yourself with this title?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: I don’t associate myself with this title, on the contrary, I try to be a friend to my fans: to give interviews as sincerely as possible, to communicate with them. Therefore, in my life I don’t pretend being some other person, I’m just Liza Tuktik.
The program you perform in St. Petersburg is called Love Letters. Have you received love letters or have you had to write it yourself?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: I have never wrote myself, but fans write to me, it’s nice. They write in social networks and leave notes in bouquets, a lot of kind, pleasant words. I keep some gifts that are handmade or those that are meaningful, touching. It is always nice when a person has put a piece of their soul into their gift. Of the latter, for example, they gave me a very beautiful phone case, wrote a wonderful letter, very touching. Also a handmade doll. I keep it too.
When they skate about love in single skating, is it always a sad story?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: This is definitely not always a sad story because you can skate because of love to yourself. You can take this story in different ways. It’s so wonderful to know that you love and accept yourself. This love can be shown on the ice in different ways.
As an athlete and a girl, did you always have this love for yourself, or did you have to work on it?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: I think I always had it. Sometimes you just forget about it or don’t realize it. There are times when you don’t accept yourself. And this is a normal part of growing up, becoming a person. The advice to love yourself is trite, but it’s easier for you to live with the person you love than with the person you don’t accept. In a situation where you don’t love yourself at all, it’s worth starting with small steps. Maybe you don’t like everything, but, for example, you like your arms, legs or nose. And so, piece by piece, you can begin to love yourself, it helps to accept yourself completely. Then life will be much easier.
For the male part of your fans, reveal the secret, is your heart taken?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: Yes.
Congratulations! Can you share who is it?
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: While it’s a secret information, I will not share. But thanks.
Related topics: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva
Open, genuine and strong girl. I love and admire her!