Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: “Figure skating showed me that the world is big and diverse. Of course, it became a strong motivation. I understood that to see even more I needed to work very hard and strive.”
Translation of the interview with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva about childhood in professional sport.
original source: mel.fm dd. 10th January 2024 by Elizaveta Lugovskaya
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: When I was five years old, my parents sent me to a sports camp. There, I met girls who were into figure skating, and I realized that also wanted to try. My parents were ecstatic because I was growing up as an active child, and it was a good way to channel my energy in the right direction.
My first skating rink was in my hometown, Glazov, in the northern part of the Udmurt Republic. Even though I was the smallest in the group, I had enough determination. I quickly started showing good results, surpassing other girls. They started taking me to competitions.
At the age of eight, I clearly realized that I had something. Most likely, my main advantage was the height of my jumps. This meant that I could learn new complex elements faster. At that age, I already had a double axel, which was phenomenal for Glazov.
Perhaps the development of my sports career was also influenced by the fact that my dad was a football team coach. From an early age, I knew what sports spirit was and how much effort was behind each victory, even though my parents didn’t have a clear goal to make me a great athlete. I came to sports because of love.
In 2006, when I was nine, coach Alexei Mishin noticed me and invited me to a camp in St. Petersburg. I agreed.
I won’t lie; at times, it was difficult. I wanted to spend more time as a carefree child, so I sometimes thought, “Why should I do this when my classmates are just hanging out, living a normal life?”
When you’re a young athlete in a big sport, you have almost no choice. You can’t say “no” and not go somewhere. It was sometimes challenging to come to terms with that.
But as I grew up a bit, I understood why all this was done. From a tiny town, I started going to big places and then abroad. I visited Andorra, Spain, and Estonia. Before that, we never went anywhere. My parents couldn’t afford it. Even to send me for training in St. Petersburg, we always looked for sponsors, and sometimes Alexei Nikolaevich helped.
Figure skating showed me that the world is vast and diverse. I realized how many opportunities were opening up for me. And, of course, it became a strong motivation. I understood that to see even more I needed to work very hard, strive.
Even intensive training didn’t take away my childhood. I had enough time to invite someone over or meet up after practice. There was no situation where my parents directed my attention only to sports, prohibiting spending time with other kids.
In this regard, I had no problems at all. I easily made friends on the ice, not considering them as competitors. I wasn’t afraid of being set up or having glass put in my skates.
There was a small adjustment period with classmates when I started gaining popularity. I felt some tension from their side. It was the early 2000s, and standing out wasn’t socially accepted. They had questions about why I often skipped classes, and the teachers were okay with it. But that quickly passed.
I attended a school where my mom worked, and I was lucky there too. I could do my math homework and immediately give her the notebook to check. She always knew the level of my knowledge and could make corrections if needed.
The schedule was roughly like this: morning training at 7 am, then I went to school for a few classes, and then I rushed to the second training session starting at 1 pm. After that, I returned home, did homework, and completed assignments from teachers.
Other teachers understood my situation too, and I thank them for that. But I never had the thought of neglecting my studies. I understood that my life, my schedule would never become easier. Sooner or later, I would have to graduate from school.
Even though I rarely attended classes in person, I submitted all homework and exams, took the Unified State Exam and got my diploma externally.
In 2016, I enrolled at Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health. I never considered pursuing a different profession because, at that time, I literally lived for figure skating.
As for love, it’s different for athletes than for regular teenagers. Nobody prohibited me from dating boys, but I didn’t have much time for dates.
We just hung out as a group of athletes, went for walks, traveled together for training camps, and had fun. At some point, we realized that someone liked each other.
I personally didn’t experience a romantic relationship during that time. I simply realized that I had a very close emotional connection with one young man. And that our friendship was no longer just friendship, but something more.
There was never burnout, but there was always fear: if not figure skating, then what? If sports disappear from my life forever, will I be able to find something that can bring me the same amount of emotions? These thoughts surfaced when I could have simply ended my sports career. Whatever I did, I never found anything cooler than figure skating.
I studied to be a coach but haven’t made it my life’s work yet. Sometimes I go to Switzerland to visit a friend, help her there, and give private lessons to kids.
But being a coach is quite a challenging job. It consumes you entirely; you need to give all your strength, knowledge, emotions. I think to become a good coach, you need to devod your life for it.
I realized that I’m not ready to do that right now. So, for now, I skate for myself — I go to training sessions to maintain my shape, participate in ice shows.
Success in figure skating is influenced by genetics only when we’re talking about a child who has recently started skating. Everything that happens next depends on the strength of their character.
You can teach a child to jump, but will they want to do it? How many times can they fall and get up if something goes wrong?
Parents who want to engage their child in figure skating should understand two things. First, it’s a very expensive sport. You’ll need to buy skates, regularly sharpen the blades, purchase tickets for competitions, costumes, and possibly pay tutors if the child struggles with schoolwork.
Second, if it’s not a recreational activity, sooner or later, figure skating will take up all of the child’s time. And you won’t be able to do anything about it. You’ll need to adjust; otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.
I’ve also noticed that many parents develop a sort of competition with the coach for the child’s attention. But it’s important to understand that all relationships are built on trust, and it’s crucial to learn to trust your coach. The roles of a parent and a coach are different, and it’s important not to interfere with each other’s responsibilities.
However, a parent always has the right to talk to the coach if something is concerning. A true professional will always be able to explain the situation.
Many parents fear violence in sports. Indeed, around figure skating, there are many true and not-so-true stories about harsh upbringing methods. I’ve never encountered this throughout my entire sports career. However, I know that there are well-known figure skaters who, unfortunately, have been through such experiences.
Violence cannot be justified in any way. However, since this issue is being discussed more and more today, I see that coaches are starting to reconsider their behavior and upbringing methods. They search for other, more humane ways to reach the child. Although, I’ll repeat, my coach never raised a hand to me. So, in general, not everyone resorts to such behavior.
I think young coaches, who have recently finished their own competitive careers, will certainly not treat their athletes this way.
Another problem for girls in figure skating, which is not often talked about, is their relationship with food. When you start training, you have to closely monitor your diet. Sometimes, it undermines mental well-being.
In childhood, it was challenging for me not to drink soda because I was a rebel, and being told not to do something irritated me. I remember how difficult it was abroad when you see many unusual sweets, but you can’t try them. It was better for me to eat a tiny bit, just taste it, than not eat it at all.
All of this led to the fact that as soon as I stopped living under the constant supervision of a coach, all those dietary restrictions burst forth, and I indulged in food, leading to problems.
I struggled for a long time, counting calories, and then just let go of the situation, thinking, “Let it be.” I stopped restricting myself, simply reduced the portion size, and that’s it. Now I eat whatever I want, but it’s not a whole banana figuratively speaking but just half. This helps maintain a balance between good physical shape, which directly influences athletic performance, and harmonious relationships with food.
Yes, athletes often experience setbacks. Many think it’s related to the age. Remember the last Olympics when everyone said, “Figure skating is a relatively young sport. It’s too early for kids to compete.”
In reality, 16–17 years old is already quite mature. All setbacks occur due to an individual’s ability to cope with defeats and unfulfilled expectations.
It’s crucial to have a comprehensive approach to working with athletes. Their team must include a professional sports psychologist who addresses such moments with them.
I also went through the bitterness of defeats and worked with a psychologist. But ultimately, I realized that even from the worst performances, you can draw conclusions. Now I try to perceive every setback as experience. Yes, it’s unpleasant. But analyzing such stories gives the strength to improve one’s skills and continue the fight.
And after all the bad, there will inevitably be something good. You know how satisfying it is to achieve a high result that you didn’t even expect? It’s an indescribable feeling.
Related topics: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva
To Dominique: There is racism in your comment. Russian system is bad, but I’m sure there are plenty of challenges wherever you are living.
So I wish other Russian athletes and coaches would learn from Liza. Always focused on what she can give to the World. And also, I can never heard her belittling other skaters, no matter russian or international. Wish the rest of her country could develop in this way
Love this! Thank you Eliza!