“My fear paralyzes me – it feels like I lose control. My mind replays all my worst falls, and I’m overcome by the horrifying thought that I’m a failure and won’t accomplish anything.” Karina Akopova on battling panic attacks
Karina Akopova on Battling Back Injuries and Panic Attacks While Pursuing Her Olympic Dream
original source: Sports dd. September 18th 2025 by Maya Bagriantseva
Karina Akopova (22) reflects on the challenges of dealing with chronic injury, panic attacks, and her resilience as she continues her career in figure skating alongside partner Nikita Rakhmanin. Now skating for Armenia, she shares her ultimate goal of securing an Olympic podium finish. Here’s a translation of her comments.
“Q: People often say Karina is plagued by back injuries. How serious is it?
Karina Akopova: I practically have an anatomical handbook written about me – nerve blockages, a fractured lesser trochanter of the femur, and plenty of other issues. But to simplify it, the strain and falls caused inflammation in my piriformis muscle, which then pressed against the sciatic nerve. This resulted in back pain for a year while doctors struggled to diagnose me.
Q: How did it all begin?
Karina Akopova: Out of nowhere. It was in March 2022. After practice, I skipped my cooldown and stretching routine and instead rushed off to go skiing. I didn’t fall or do anything extreme, but the next morning – suddenly, my back hurt.
Over the course of two hospital stays, MRI scans, multiple rounds of nerve block injections, and endless visits to doctors in Moscow and Sochi, no one could figure out the root cause. I held out hope of making it to the Russian Nationals, but by December, I could barely walk.
That’s when a miracle happened: my mom took me to a neurologist who immediately identified the issue and explained how to manage it. His name is Fedor Stupin – he even treated Nikita Katsalapov, by the way.
Q: Can this condition be cured?
Karina Akopova: No, it’s something I’ll have to live with forever. I keep up with therapeutic exercises and stretch the muscle regularly because falls make it inflamed again, pressing on the poor sciatic nerve. For now, my condition feels stable.
Recovery requires constant attention – massage, sauna, special cupping therapy. Recently, I even completed a kinesiology taping course and now consult with other skaters about injuries.
The bigger problem, though, has been the panic attacks that started as a result of the physical trauma. It’s been much harder to deal with those.
Q: When did the panic attacks first start?
Karina Akopova: A few days after the Grand Prix stage in Sochi in the fall of 2022. During the free skate, I suffered a bad fall on a throw (laughs ruefully). I always watch my performance replays to analyze errors, but when I watched that video – I suddenly started crying uncontrollably.
It was terrifying – I couldn’t breathe or move, my body going from feverish heat to chills. I genuinely thought I was dying. It was the first time I ever felt something like that. Nikita immediately called for help, and Sonya Evdokimova and Alexei Svyatchenko came to my aid. The next day, my mom flew in, and Dmitrii Savin (my coach) came to see me – all trying to support me. We initially thought it was just an isolated incident. I returned to the rink, but soon after, it happened again.
This time, it was from a single throw during practice. Nothing unusual or extreme, but suddenly the panic attack hit. They carried me into the locker room, gave me an IV, and Fedor sat next to me holding my hand.
A few days later, another attack struck – this time during competition at the Moscow Grand Prix stage. I was alone for a few minutes before the six-minute warmup when it overwhelmed me again. I attempted to step onto the ice, thinking I could push through, but my coaches saw that I was shaking and withdrew us from the event.
And from that point on, the panic attacks started happening regularly. I’ve learned how to live with them now. I no longer feel like I’m dying – I know how to handle them.
Q: What triggers these attacks?
Karina Akopova: It could be anything, but pain is the most common trigger. My fear paralyzes me – it feels like I lose control. My mind replays all my worst falls, and I’m overcome by the horrifying thought that I’m a failure and won’t accomplish anything.
Q: Who helped you learn to manage it?
Karina Akopova: I tried working with a psychologist, but realized that unless I first convince myself the attacks aren’t dangerous, no one else can help me. The psychologist, however, taught me how to redirect my thoughts. Now, if something hurts, I focus on distracting myself – looking around or counting silently – to prevent the panic from taking over.
Sometimes I feel like everything is under control – for example, the summer passed without incident. But just one week before the competition in America, my back pain flared up again and triggered another attack. It was tough, but I managed to push through.
“Q: You’ve set high goals for yourself – what are they?
Karina Akopova: Like every skater, it’s the Olympic podium. At the very least, we want to compete in two Olympics. We’ve worked too hard and come through too many difficulties to stop now.
But I also want to experience a ‘normal’ life at some point – I want to live beyond skating.
Q: Can you imagine yourself skating until the age of 40, like Deanna Stellato?
Karina Akopova: I’ll keep skating for as long as my health allows me and until I achieve my goals in figure skating.”
Related topics: Karina Akopova, Nikita Rakhmanin
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