Podkopaeva lilia alexandrovna. Two lives of Lilia Podkopaeva: the story of a star mother Personal and social life

Lilia Podkopaeva, whose biography is described in the article, is a woman whose name has gone down in history. More than one generation will be proud of the athlete's victories. The gymnast's brilliant tricks will not be repeated by her followers soon.

Childhood

Podkopaeva Lilia Alexandrovna was born (biography is set out below) on August 15, 1978 in the city of Donetsk in Ukraine (then the Ukrainian SSR). Her family was not rich. The future Olympian was brought up by her mother and grandmother, since her father abandoned them as soon as little Lilia was born. From childhood, the future gymnast was very restless, the energy in the little girl was in full swing. As Lilia herself later said: “My mother did not know what to do with me, all the time I was running away from kindergarten, I was racing my bike, I had to be removed from the treetops every now and then, I was running on the roofs all the time, playing catch-up with the boys and could not sit in one place for a second ”.

After some consultation, the Podkopayeva family decided that it was impossible to waste such a charge of energy. Therefore, they decided to give the girl to sports section... In 1983, when little Lilya was already five years old, her grandmother Evelina Mikhailovna took her granddaughter to sport Club Dynamo to the gym. It was from this day that began sport life and biography of Lilia Podkopaeva. “When I first entered the hall, I felt that it would become an integral part of me,” recalls Lilia herself. “We came to work for the result,” - with these words the grandmother of the future champion turned to the coach. Hearing these words, the little girl took them to heart and promised herself in no case to betray the hope and faith of her relatives in her.

Training and sports

Lilia Podkopaeva, whose biography is very interested in her fans, is Leo by the sign of the zodiac. A distinctive feature of Lviv is the desire to be the first, the desire to win everyone, to prove to everyone that they are the best, to take a pedestal in life. It was these qualities that Lilia Podkopaeva possessed from early childhood, her biography confirms this. She always gathered her will into a fist and strove for her goal.

Although a little five-year-old girl who came to her first gymnastics training session did not surprise the coaches with her talent, she soon impressed everyone with her hard work and perseverance. After all a short time sport has become one of the main components of a gymnast's life.

Everyone knows that the life of athletes is incredibly difficult, and the biography of Lilia Podkopaeva was no exception. Every day, the girl was forced to wake up at five in the morning, in a hurry to pack up and run on morning workout, then have breakfast on the go and run to school. After school, the girl ate lunch in the school cafeteria and ran to her evening workout. Home, tired and exhausted, she returned only by nine in the evening, and yet she still had to do the school homework... Lilia went to bed late in the evening, and from early morning everything ran in a circle again. Many of the then environment of the teenager were surprised: "How did she still not fall exhausted from such loads, where does she have so much endurance and perseverance?"

Later, the gymnast admits that she herself does not know how she managed to combine so many things, but perseverance and hard work invariably led her to success. Lilia Podkopaeva worked at the Olympic base, which was not only very honorable for any athlete, but also very difficult. Only for New Year the athletes were allowed to rest. For a week they were allowed to go home and spend time with their relatives. But this was the only weekend of the year.

The rest of the time Podkopaeva trained. The workouts lasted 8 hours a day, but future champion gritting her teeth, she walked towards her goal. At a time when the time of summer holidays and carefree rest began for her one-year-olds, the young athlete left for sports base to the cultural capital. She was very fond of the St. Petersburg training camp. During this period, the girl had a birthday. The coaches took the group to the museums of the city, walked and admired the beautiful St. Petersburg architecture.

Debut

She made her debut at the big sports arena in 1993 Lilia Podkopaeva. Her biography was replenished with a new significant event. These were international competitions in artistic gymnastics. There, great horizons opened for her for the first time, she first performed in front of a large audience and proudly, with dignity, presented herself at these competitions. What else will the short biography of Lilia Podkopaeva tell about? Interesting Facts from her life are described below.

Achievements and awards

In 1995, Lilia Podkopaeva became the owner of the European Cup and won the title of the absolute world champion in artistic gymnastics.

In 1996, this Ukrainian gymnast won gold at the European Championships.

After all these accomplishments and victories, Lilia set herself the next goal - the Olympic Games. The goal of the young athlete was supported by her coaches: Lilia Pugacheva, Galina Losinskaya, Oleg Ostapenko and Svetlana Dubova. This was a very serious step. After all, Lilia had to represent on the world stage not only herself, but also her country. The gymnast went to this great accomplishment for 13 years through persistent training, hard work on herself and huge moral and physical costs.

The XXVI Olympic Games were to be held in Atlanta, USA. For a young athlete, this was the most important achievement in life. But a month before leaving for Atlanta, Lilia Podkopaeva's grandmother died. It was Evelina Mikhailovna who 13 years ago brought a five-year-old girl to big sport, it was she who most believed in Lilya and supported her throughout the entire journey, and it was she who, no less than the athlete herself, was waiting for her granddaughter to go to the Olympic Games. Despite the family tragedy, Podkopaeva did not give up, she still went to the United States. In the "Georgia Dome" hall, where the competition took place, the young Olympic woman was greeted with applause by 45 thousand spectators, among whom was the President of the United States with his family.

On the Olympic Games ah in Atlanta Lilia Podkopaeva won two gold medals. The exercise "double forward somersault with a 180 ° turn" is Lilia Podkopaeva's signature exercise. Until now, no athlete in the world can repeat it! Standing on the pedestal, the gymnast thanked her late grandmother for her success, hoping that she saw her triumph from heaven.

Life after sports

What does Lilia Podkopaeva do after leaving the sport? The biography, personal life of a famous athlete is of interest to many. It is known that she began to work as a coach. She teaches children about gymnastics in different countries the world. Among her students were Antonio Banderas. She brings up in children not only sports skills, but also willpower and spirit.

Lilia launched her brand of sportswear in America. She was named "Woman of the Year". Also, the gymnast takes an active part in the fight against AIDS and has become

On television

Lilia Podkopaeva starred in the entertainment television series "Lesya + Roma". She played herself in the film "Hold Me Tight".

Personal life

She was married to businessman Timofey Nagorny. Lilia Podkopaeva has two children. Adopted son Vadim Nagorny and own daughter Karolina Nagornaya. Ani Lorak became the godmother of little Carolina, as they have long been friends with the gymnast. from the age of 3 they began to do gymnastics, in addition to this they study foreign languages and dance.

This is who Lilia Podkopaeva is. short biography, family, sports achivments- all this is written in the article.

We have not seen Lilia Podkopaeva - it's hard to believe - for four years! It is now very difficult to meet the Olympic champion in Ukraine - she often and for a long time leaves for the USA, where she conducts master classes in artistic gymnastics. We decided to talk about the American life of the champion.

Now Lilia Podkopaeva with her children, 11-year-old Vadim and 10-year-old Carolina, as well as her mother, Lyudmila, live in Tampa, Florida. To my question, when does an athlete visit Ukraine, she replies: “We live in the States, plus or minus six to seven months a year, although it happens in different ways. And so for 20 years. After the Atlanta Olympics, I was invited to master classes and motivational lectures to share success stories. The more time you spend there, the more offers I get, so I run all over the country. But I always return to Ukraine, because this is my home, my homeland. "

- For many, adaptation in a foreign country is not easy. Tell us what was the most difficult for you, what did you have to get used to in America?

In fact, everything was complicated. The American lifestyle is very different from ours. Life here is different - everything is much easier and simpler, but you also need to get used to it. When I first came to the States 20 years ago, it was hard to get used to the fact that a car is not a luxury but a means of transportation (smiles). And if in big cities, such as New York and Chicago, there are subways and buses, and somewhere you can walk and on foot, then in small cities like Tampa - only a car or a bicycle. This, of course, was annoying at first. And the banking system then shocked me at all, because we did not even know about such things that were considered common here: you don't have to go to the cashier, but you can just write a check, send it, and everything was paid. There was a very strong contrast with Ukraine at that time.

This is how I gradually got used to it, slowly studied, developed. For me, everyday life has become a new stage in my life. When you are an athlete, and you are constantly at the Olympic base, you go to competitions, you don’t think about how to order tickets, issue visas, think over the route, who will cook food, clean the room in the end, because they did everything for us. We only thought about sports. Therefore, this moment had to be mastered. I remember I called my mother (then there was no Skype yet, the Internet was just beginning to develop) and asked how to cook this or that dish.

- And the easiest thing that you let into your life from the American lifestyle?

The easiest thing is convenience. Everything here is so convenient, thoughtful and comfortable! Everything is done for a person, from parking spaces to pricing - availability of goods. It is customary here to put on new clothes every day, you cannot walk in the same for two days in a row. Therefore, you quickly get used to shopping. And to what you have all year round eat fruits and vegetables. This has not happened in Ukraine before.

Service in the States on the highest level: if you have any questions, you call and they answer you with a smile. When I return to Ukraine, unfortunately, I see a difference: in the store, for example, we very often behave incorrectly with the customer.

- Lil, how did you learn the language, did you hire a tutor?

I remember my first visit. I went to school, there are ESOL classes (English As a Second Language - "English as a second language" - Ed.). I went for three months, plus I tried to talk in the hall, the children laughed at me. At first I couldn't speak at all. I cried because everything was very difficult. You can understand one word, but in combination with another it has a completely different meaning (for example: go - to go, and already go on - to continue). I translated each word separately, and I got some kind of rubbish in my head. When I read my first art book in English two years ago, I was very proud of myself. For an athlete, this is pleasant, because from childhood we are accustomed to setting goals and achieving them.

We had an assignment: for two days we read a certain number of chapters, and then we came to school and discussed them with the teacher. There are people from all over the world in this school. If someone does not know something, they try to explain it to you, taking into account the peculiarities of your native language. The teacher said: "Do not worry, when you start reading the book, at first you will understand only 30 percent, but by the end, on average, 70 percent will be understood." It wasn't easy, but I enjoyed reading it a lot.

- How do children learn? In which school?

Children go to public school. We live in a good area (here the area is determined by which school, what level it has). You cannot go to school from another area, here it is very strict with this. Therefore, people rent or buy apartments or houses near good schools in order to give children a good education... Americans do not spare money for this, they will move and change their place of residence (city, state) to get to a certain school, if they see the potential of the child, see opportunities and want to use them.

My children started learning English back in Ukraine at the Little America school. Then Vadim was four and a half years old, and Karolina - three and a half. The language learning was carried out in a playful way. And when in our first year in the USA the children went to kindergarten, they felt quite comfortable, they did not have stress, they communicated quite easily in a group with their peers.

Now children are fluent in the language: every time they come to America, they take a test for their level of English. And recently Vadim was awarded a certificate of commendation as the best student of the school! I am very proud of him, he is a great fellow!

- Tell us which items are easy for children and which ones are difficult?

Vadim likes logic and mathematics. Carolina, on the other hand, loves language and literature, she loves writing stories. They are completely different, but this is probably the beauty. They are great for me, because they study in two programs. In addition to the American school curriculum, my mother also works with the children in Ukrainian, so that when they return home, they can pass the exams and keep up with their peers. Of course, it is very difficult, but we are trying. I assure them that in the future it will benefit them, because additional knowledge is always a plus. And knowing the approach to study in Ukraine and the United States, they will better understand how everything works in this world.

Children, of course, are very busy, but I explain to them: if they want to achieve something, they have to work hard. The more they take now, the more they can get in the future. They sometimes resist, do not want to, like all children, but mostly they are great fellows. I'm proud of them (smiles).

- When children come to Ukraine, do they go to school or are homeschooled?

Go to school. In addition, we take books from America and try to read them all while we are in Ukraine. There is an opportunity to study online and take subjects as an external student.

- Tell us, what are the interests of Vadim and Karolina, in addition to studying?

Carolina is very fond of drawing. Vadim is also a creative child, but he loves to play computer games more. In terms of sports, we go in for swimming and tennis. Vadim is slowly mastering karate. We try to ensure that children have a harmonious development: both study and physical activity. For me, as a former athlete, this is very important. Like everyone else, we love to be with children in Disneyland, in igrolands, of which there are a lot, in water parks. On weekends we are always together, because in the middle of the week it is not possible to devote much time to each other: we had breakfast together, scattered in all directions and only had dinner in the evening.

- How independent are your children? What are their responsibilities?

The children take turns washing the dishes: one day - Carolina, the other - Vadim. They also vacuum, clean up after themselves, do some laundry, help grandmother with household chores. For example, they found out that it costs money to wash a car, and they offered: "Mom, let us wash the car, and you will pay us." I agreed: the children approached this very responsibly, ripped out the car to a shine. And we learned the lesson: if you want to make money, you need to do your job efficiently. It made me happy.

- What do you think, what needs to be vaccinated from childhood, what to teach, what to tell, so that in the future the child will become an independent and successful person?

To teach not to be afraid to work. Teach not to be afraid of difficulties. Teach to be human. These things need to be pawned from childhood. And, probably, you need to educate yourself, because children look at us and absorb what they see, what happens every day. You can say anything, but how you do everything yourself is probably more important. Therefore, parents need to educate themselves if they want to raise wonderful children.

- How close are Vadim and Karolina? Or they are now starting a period when they hang signs on the door of their room “Do not enter without knocking! Private territory "?

They are as close as an ordinary brother and sister. At home, they, of course, sort things out, like any children. This is totally normal. Firstly, they grow up, their character changes, they do not want to show weakness or give in somewhere. Although I teach them: “Vadim, you, as a man, should be more lenient towards girls. This is your little sister. You understand that she looks at you, how you behave. If you spoke harshly, she will remember and then repeat it in the same way ”.

I suggest to Caroline: “You are a girl, you are a lady. You must behave with dignity. Therefore, be wiser, smarter. Sometimes it is better to remain silent, let the emotions settle down. " Of course, we rarely succeed, but we try, learn (smiles). When they are somewhere outside the house, they stand up for each other. If I disagree with Vadim or Karolina in something, they will defend each other, try to persuade me.

Karolina recently made me happy: while I was on a business trip, she made pancakes herself. And when I returned, I asked her: “Well, how are the pancakes? Tell me, probably, you just made the dough, and the grandmother was frying ”, so Vadim:“ No, mom, Carolina did everything herself! They are so delicious, you have to try! "

Children love each other and when they part, they really yearn. There is an older brother, there is a younger sister, this feeling is formed in everyone. I say to Vadim: “You are our protector, you are our man. And we are girls, we need yours strong shoulder". And he understands this. Just like I say to Caroline: "This is your older brother, you must listen to him." They take care of each other, and this makes me happy as a mother.

- Do children already ask you uncomfortable adult questions?

Of course they do (smiles). But if I do not want to answer, I diplomatically evade the answer. I learned this through various interviews (smiles). If there are any moments, I ask: “Do you know what this means? Would you like me to explain to you? " “No, Mom, we already know everything,” they answer. "Okay, but if you want to talk about it, we can talk about it." Recently, my children and I discussed the issue of smoking, drugs, and how it has a detrimental effect on health. I think the children heard me and my arguments. We must not get away from these topics and not be afraid to say that they should think with their own heads. We will not be able to spread a feather bed for them everywhere, to lead them by the handle all our lives. I tell you that life is sometimes cruel and everything is not always rosy, as it seems in childhood, when we look at many things through rose-colored glasses.

- Where do children like to live more - in Ukraine or in the USA?

They like where mom is (smiles).

- Do they have friends?

Yes. I think there are more friends in Ukraine, given that in Kiev they can move more on their own and go to visit. In America, they have friends who live next to us. Children visit them with an overnight stay, this is often practiced here. Vadim is getting older and already more attached to his friends, he understands more what friendship is. He is lightweight and sociable, he quickly finds guys for communication. It makes me happy. Carolina is more private. It takes time for it to open up to a person. In general, that's how they are with me.

- Admit it, do you like to do everyday life in the USA? Decorating the house? Or do you live with your whole family on suitcases?

I have "gypsy blood": it mixed from the very moment I started gymnastics and as soon as I started to travel around the former USSR (laughs). Therefore, when it’s calm and I don’t go anywhere for three or four months, I have a slight breakdown. In general, I live on suitcases, given that we have been in Ukraine for six months, and in the United States for six months. This is my nomadic life.

Of course, like any woman, I want to have coziness and comfort, and I decorate the house as best I can with all sorts of little things that delight the eye. On Friday, when I come home from work, and the children have already finished their homework by that time, we watch a movie together. Or here in recent times"Hooked" on the TV project "Heads and Tails". We have favorite presenters - Lesya Nikityuk and Andrey Bednyakov. The children already have a plan: which countries they want to go to, what to see.
- Do you like to cook?

Our mom is responsible for the kitchen. She prepares us borscht and soups, and I am a salad specialist (laughs). Usually kids are skeptical about salads, but they eat mine with great pleasure, especially Vadim. I, of course, tell the children about proper nutrition what is useful and what is not. But sometimes we want fries and some cola chips. I work a lot, so my mom is mainly involved in cooking. She often grills meats or fish, or bakes them in the oven. We eat a lot of fruits, since in America they are available in large quantities and varieties all year round. We try to eat fruits before lunch, because they have a lot of sugar, and it is not very healthy. A year and a half ago, I went for a consultation with nutritionist Natalya Samoylenko not to lose weight (my weight is okay), but to learn how to eat right. So, my nutritionist recommends that carbohydrates be before lunch, and proteins after. And no red vegetables and fruits in the afternoon because they are high in sugar! We try to adhere to these nutritional rules. I can cook everything, but I won't say that I like to do it, because when I cook, I immediately feel like eating (laughs). And in order not to gain weight, I go in for sports three times a week. I wrote the program for myself physical activity: running four kilometers, then warm-up and exercises for the press, legs, upper shoulder girdle... In women, mainly problem areas- waist, butt, legs, so I focus on these parts of the body in the warm-up.

- What do you not allow children to eat?

They want sweets, like everyone else. At one time we ate breakfast cereals, which you fill in with milk, and in them, it turns out, there is a huge amount of sugar. When so much sugar enters on an empty stomach, insulin spikes into insane. I am not against sweets, but you need to eat it at a certain time and in small quantities. Once I read to the children an article about the dangers of sugar and said: “You see, my grandmother measures her blood sugar level every day by piercing her finger. You don't want the same thing, do you? " You can't eat whatever you want. There was such a funny case, the children were still small then. We have a rule: candy is allowed only once a week. And so we are driving together in the car, and my friend says: "Children, do you want candy?" They look at her, then at me and say, "No, we only have candy on Fridays." On the one hand, it sounded funny, but on the other hand, it sounded awful, like some kind of Cerberus mother who only allows candy to eat on Fridays. We banned, of course, chips, sugary carbonated drinks, some kind of snacks. Instead, I offer them dried apricots, prunes, raisins, cranberries. We have now found a replacement for sweets - these are kozinaki. There is very little sugar, mostly nuts (almonds, hazelnuts), seeds, a little honey and salt. Children eat sweets anyway. It is completely impossible to exclude them. And when we go to the park, we cannot deny ourselves to eat delicious ice cream, but this is only once a week (smiles).

- Lily, what is it not customary in your family to spend a lot of money on, but on what, on the contrary, you don’t mind the money?

I am not sorry for investments in education, training, in the harmonious development of children. Vadim and Karolina are absolutely indifferent to clothes: they have everything they need. I teach that you can look stylish and fashionable without spending a lot of money. That now, for example, bad manners, when everyone is in brands. For children, I don't think it's right to buy expensive things. They should not be afraid to run, fall, sit on the floor, like all Americans, and not think about ruining their new suit. Of course, children have things to go out, but here in America there is no such thing as expensive clothes. In general, everything is quite affordable for them. Therefore, casual clothing is very relevant, so that it is convenient and comfortable at school. They have physical education, but the children do not change clothes for the lesson, as is customary in our country. What they came to do what they do. Therefore, there is a rule for girls: if this is a skirt, then there must be shorts under it so that the children can tumble, not be afraid, do not be shy and feel comfortable.

- Tell us how you pampered yourself in last time? Maybe it's a massage, an expensive dress, a cruise ...

My friend and I periodically go shopping, but talk more, have a glass of wine, sit and chat, see some new items. If I know that I will have an event, then I go and buy myself an outfit for it. Nowadays, many people rent a party outfit. In Kiev, I turn to stylists for help, they choose dresses for me.

I am driving active life, so for me the most comfortable thing is trousers, jeans. Jeans are my love, I have a lot of them. They even send me jeans specially from Ukraine of some young brands. I love that they have some kind of zest, so that they stand out in some way. And comfortable shoes for me are sneakers. This is very important now. They are worn under the dress and under the skirt. As you get older, you focus more on comfort, taking into account your own rhythm of life. I can't say that I love shopping. As you get older, you already clearly know what you need. I came, saw, bought - it's about me. And before, I could go shopping for hours (smiles).

In contact with

classmates

Lilia Podkopayeva is a legend of Ukrainian gymnastics, she steadfastly survived all the blows of fate, withstood and won!

Professional sports are not just classes from time to time, it is the real and only life that young athletes know. But still, this is only a part of the present, to which sooner or later everyone comes. Lilia Podkopaeva did an excellent job with the difficult transition to ordinary life, and she is grateful for this to close people who have always been and remain with her.

Hometown

Lilia Podkopaeva was born, spent all her childhood and adolescence in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk. The girl grew up brisk and cheerful, she was surrounded by the love and care of her mother and grandmother. But dad somehow did not work out - Lily's mom divorced her dad when the girl was only 2 years old.

First steps in sports

When little Lilechka was only 5 years old, her grandmother Evelina Mikhailovna took her granddaughter to the gymnasium of the Donetsk society "Dynamo". And, although Lilia herself believes that in childhood she was not particularly flexible and plastic, the coaches saw great potential in the baby - due to the hard work of incredible workability for such a baby, as well as the support of her mother and grandmother, Lilya achieved incredible success. The girl fell in love with gymnastics immediately and, as she herself says:

Gymnastics has been my boyfriend for 18 years. They often ask: well, what about discos, movies, grooms? My answer is no, my boyfriend was Jim Nastix, gymnastics.

Evelina Mikhailovna initially set up her granddaughter that gymnastics is not for entertainment, and recognition and awards await Lilya ahead. It is difficult to say whether the woman herself believed in this, but she definitely instilled and supported the girl with confidence all these years.

Source: instagram @liliyapodkopaeva

I remember those seconds before competing in Atlanta at the Olympic Games. I remember well what helped me to gather all my strength, calm my heart, cool my head ... feel every cell of my body ... 🌞 I flew, flew over my house, yard, over my favorite Ukrainian cities, the Dnieper ... ❤️ And I did it .. it was not just a victory .. it was a victory over myself .. an olympic podium .. a record .. A record 🏆, which has been putting my native country in first place among the best for several decades already ..

Source: instagram @liliyapodkopaeva

sport - is life

Few people know, but a year before her triumph, Lilia almost gave up gymnastics - in August 1995, before the World Championships in Sabe, she had a breakdown. Then Lilya told the coaches that she could no longer and did not want to live on wear and tear:

I said that I don't want to train anymore, I don't want any gymnastics, I'm tired, I want to be an ordinary person, to eat ice cream, cakes, watermelon.

The trainers showed understanding and gave the girl two whole days off - an unprecedented generosity! This turned out to be enough for the athlete to get in shape, moreover, she seemed to have a second wind and at the competitions in Japan she became the world champion.

Source: instagram @liliyapodkopaeva

Success is the result of work, not chance.

The girl is so fused with her new life, in fact, this was her real and only life - training, training camps, competitions, first victories, diploma medals. Lilya was rapidly approaching her main sporting victory - participation in the Olympic Games at the XXVI Olympic Games in Atlanta. It was 1996, Lilia Podkopaeva was only 18 years old, she had just finished school, but in her arsenal there were already many awards and titles, and therefore, unprecedented hopes were pinned on her performance.

The victory was not easy for Lilya - during training on the uneven bars, she rubbed her palms into the blood, but nevertheless, she ascended to the highest step of the podium to the sounds of the Ukrainian anthem, and two gold medals in absolute championship and floor exercises shone on Lily's chest. One of its elements - a double forward somersault with a 180 ° turn - so far none of the athletes can repeat.

Source: instagram @anilorak

Life outside of sports

Leaving a big sport is very difficult, it's like starting to live a different, unfamiliar life

When you stop playing sports, it's a terrible depression. We were such soldiers. They cooked for us, they cleaned our rooms, we were focused only on training process and to preserve their health.

Source: youtube.com

But, as before, Lilya was supported by her relatives - mother and grandmother, and soon a person appeared, without whom she no longer imagined her existence. The wedding with a businessman, organizer of sports shows, Timofey Nagorny, who was 9 years older than Lily, took place in December 2004, after 2 years of marriage. This festival was covered by all Ukrainian media, her close friend Ani Lorak became a witness to Lilia, the newlyweds were congratulated by Taisia Povaliy, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, Yana Klochkova, Svetlana Horkina, Tatyana Gutsu, Ekaterina Ekaterina famous people... But, alas, the seed life was short-lived - in 2009, the seemingly ideal marriage ended in divorce and Lilia Podkopaeva was left alone with two children.

Source: instagram @liliyapodkopaeva

Lilia Podkopaeva - our days

While still married, Lilia Podkopaeva, who could not conceive in any way, decided to adopt a baby. As she said later, she did not choose her son, but he chose her. The process of adopting a little boy Vadim took some time, during which a miracle happened - Podkopaeva found out that she was pregnant. But this fact did not in any way affect her decision to take Vadim home. On November 10, 2006, Lilia Podkopaeva gave birth to a girl, whom she named Carolina, in honor of the godmother of the baby Ani Lorak. The girl is exactly one year younger than her older brother, born in November 2005.

Podkopaeva Lilia Alexandrovna (born 1978) - absolute champion of Europe, the world, the Olympic Games in artistic gymnastics, Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine, judge of the international category. In the exercise on the carpet, I performed a double forward somersault with a 180-degree turn, which no one has yet repeated.

Childhood

Lilya was born on August 15, 1978 in the city of Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR. The proletarian district of the city is a workers' suburb, and the family in which the little girl appeared was the same, from among the workers.

The lion's character according to the sign of the zodiac began to appear in early childhood... Lilya has always strived to be the best, to occupy the position of a leader and to be in the spotlight. These qualities walk with her through life, and it is thanks to them that she managed to achieve such high results in sports. In addition to these qualities, she was also an incredibly active girl. I rode a bicycle with the boys in the yard, climbed onto roofs, jumped from trees and ran away from the garden. Such irrepressible energy had to be directed somewhere.

Dad left the family when Lilya was very young. She was raised by her grandmother Evelina Mikhailovna and her mother. They decided to give their energetic child to the sports section. In 1983, when Lilya was 5 years old, her grandmother took her to the Dynamo Sports Palace. The girl saw for the first time in her life gym and fell in love with him once and for all. When there was the first lesson, Lilina's grandmother told the trainer that her granddaughter had come to train not just to kill time, but for the results. These words, heard by the little girl, became her life orientation, which eventually grew into a goal - victory and success.

By nature, Lily did not have such a gift that everything would work out immediately and easily. But the Lord rewarded her with perseverance and incredible hard work. Once, in the back room of the Sports Palace, she saw a pedestal, and the highest cube on it with the number "1" became a cherished desire for the girl.

Sport became the main occupation in Podkopaeva's life. The child had a strict regimen:

rise at 5 o'clock in the morning;
at 5.30 she was already leaving the house for her morning workout;
classes at school (Lilya studied in a sports class with gymnasts and swimmers);
evening workout until 20.00;
preparation of assigned lessons.

And so every day for several years. During school holidays, when all the children went to the sea or to children's health camps, Lilya went to the training camp in Leningrad at the Olympic base. The trainings took place for 8 hours daily.

Sports records and achievements

The road to international competitions opened for Podkopayeva in 1993, and already in 1995 she won the European Cup and the absolute world championship.

In 1996, she won the European Championship. Very soon an event was to take place, for the sake of which so much work was put. Any athlete waits for such an event all his life while training - the Olympics. There was exactly a month left before the Olympic Games when irreparable grief happened. Lily's grandmother died. The person who brought the girl to the section many years ago is gone artistic gymnastics, then every morning and evening he took to training, while Lilya was still very little, who most believed and dreamed of the victories of his granddaughter.

It was very hard. It seemed that there was not enough strength to get together, but it was necessary to do it for the sake of Evelina Mikhailovna, for the sake of my mother, for the sake of her country and those people who worked so long and hard with Lilya. Podkopaeva is a very grateful, honest and decent athlete. She never attributed all the virtues to herself alone. Each time she tirelessly talks about her favorite trainers Lilia Pugacheva, Oleg Ostapenko, Galina Losinskaya, choreographer Svetlana Dubova and thanks them.

Atlanta 1996. There were no empty seats in the Georgia Dome gym. The audience strongly supported the American gymnasts. American President Clinton respected artistic gymnastics. He came with his family to watch the competition. After the first exercise, Lilya took the sixth position in overall standings... On the uneven bars, she was second, losing to the representative of the United States. For the log, Podkopaeva gets the highest score. And the last introduction is her strong point, free exercise, in which she had no equal on the planet. The resulting score almost went off scale - 9.887.

Lilya won two gold medals in Atlanta - for free exercise and in absolute superiority. She was on the highest cube of the podium with the number "1" of the most prestigious competition in the history of mankind. She stood, cried, mentally turned to her grandmother and dedicated her success to her.

"About Olympic gold any athlete dreams in life, and when this goal is achieved, physical pain with fatigue and devastation pours into such an emotional state that one cannot do without tears. "

This is what a young 18-year-old Ukrainian gymnast said about winning the summer Olympics 1996.

Life after the Olympics

Immediately after the Olympics, President Clinton invited Podkopayeva to tour the states with speeches. Lilya visited 60 cities. This was followed by a contract for coaching in the American gymnastics club... He was imprisoned for a year. The athlete did not renew it, rejected the offer to accept American citizenship and left for her homeland in Ukraine.

In 1997, Podkopaeva injured her leg and left professional sports... Every summer she teaches master classes in America, where she trains children. Even the children of world celebrities Madonna and Antonio Banderas have visited her students.

Other achievements of Podkopaeva (in the development and promotion of sports, in charity) are no less significant than sports medals and titles.

2001	Graduated from Kiev National University physical culture and sports, having received the profession of a trainer-teacher.
2003	Received a diploma from the Donetsk State Academy of Management.
2004	Became the National Sports Ambassador of the Council of Europe, fair play and tolerance.
2005	Became the UN Goodwill Ambassador in the fight against AIDS.
2006	Receives the UN award for the fight against HIV and AIDS.
2006	In Ukraine, they began to issue postage stamps, which depict L.A. Podkopaeva.
2007	She was named “Woman of the Year” in the national competition “Person of the Year”.
2008	The US Worldwide Hall of Fame has immortalized her name.
2008	The UN in the United States began issuing a postage stamp with the image of L.A. Podkopaeva. (to her 30th birthday).
2001-2009	Organizer (together with spouse Timofey Nagorny) of the annual sports international festival"Golden Lily".
2010	Becomes a co-founder and head of the Health of Generations charity fund.
2011	He hosts an entertainment show "I am a Hero" (New Channel) on Ukrainian television.
2012	Leads the social project "Heart Will Tell" on Ukrainian television (Inter channel).
2015	In March, the program of the author Lilia Podkopaeva "5 minutes for the benefit of the body" started on Russian Radio, where she shares her experience with the audience in terms of healthy way life.

In addition to 45 gold, 21 silver and 14 bronze medals in Lilia Podkopaeva's piggy bank, the Honorary Badge of Distinction of the President of Ukraine, the Order of Princess Olga of the III degree, the Certificate of Merit of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Order of Merit of the II degree.

Lilia has participated in many Ukrainian television projects and shows.

In 2006, in the dance project "Dancing with the Stars" she won in a pair with Sergei Kostetsky. In 2008, with the same partner, she took third place at the Eurovision dance competition, where they performed for Ukraine.

She starred in the TV series "Lesya + Roma" (2005-2006) and "Hold me tight" (2007).

Podkopaeva has a line of sportswear in the USA, which goes under the L.P. Design brand.

Personal and social life

With her first husband, Donetsk businessman Timofei Nagorny, Podkopaeva lived for seven years, four of which were legally married. They got married on December 25, 2004. The witness at the wedding was Lilia's best friend, singer Ani Lorak. The event was magnificent and loud. The wedding celebration was attended by Iosif Kobzon, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk (Okean Elzy group), Taisia Povaliy, world artistic gymnastics stars Aleksey Nemov, Svetlana Khorkina, Lilina friend Olympic champion in swimming Yana Klochkova.

In 2006, the couple adopted an 8-month-old boy Vadik from an orphanage. At the end of the same year, Lilya gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Carolina in honor of her friend.

In 2009, the couple broke up, and not quietly and peacefully, but with scandals. Timofey accused Lily of not letting him see the children. Over time, the passions subsided and the ex-spouses were able to negotiate and improve human relations. Timofey sees his children whenever he wants and helps them financially.

In 2009, Lilia met her partner in the Health of Generations charitable foundation, a Kiev businessman, Viktor Kostyrko (he owns a restaurant in the center of the Ukrainian capital). The working relationship grew into mutual sympathy, and they began dating. After a hard-borne divorce from her first husband, Lilya stubbornly hid her new relationship, did not want any publicity.

In 2012, Lilya and Victor signed without high-profile celebrations. Only the children, the parents of the groom and the mother of the bride were with them that day. Victor has already had three marriages. His third wife died, leaving an 11-year-old son. Raising him and her children, Vadik and Karolina, is now being dealt with by Lilia.

Now Lilia devotes a lot of time to charity and leads a secular lifestyle.

All over the world, fans call the great gymnast Lady Under.

For many, adaptation in a foreign country is not easy. Tell us what was the most difficult for you, what did you have to get used to in America?

- And the easiest thing that you let into your life from the American lifestyle?

The easiest thing is convenience. Everything here is so convenient, thoughtful and comfortable! Everything is done for a person, from parking spaces to pricing - availability of goods. It is customary here to put on new clothes every day, you cannot walk in the same for two days in a row. Therefore, you quickly get used to shopping. And to the fact that you have fruits and vegetables all year round. This has not happened in Ukraine before.

Service in the States is at the highest level: if you have any questions, you call and they answer you with a smile. When I return to Ukraine, unfortunately, I see a difference: in the store, for example, we very often behave incorrectly with the customer.

- Lil, how did you learn the language, did you hire a tutor?

- How do children learn? In which school?

Children go to public school. We live in a good area (here the area is determined by which school, what level it has). You cannot go to school from another area, here it is very strict with this. Therefore, people rent or buy apartments or houses near good schools in order to give their children a good education. Americans do not spare money for this, they will move and change their place of residence (city, state) to get to a certain school, if they see the potential of the child, see opportunities and want to use them.

- Tell us which items are easy for children and which ones are difficult?

- When children come to Ukraine, do they go to school or are homeschooled?

Go to school. In addition, we take books from America and try to read them all while we are in Ukraine. There is an opportunity to study online and take subjects as an external student.

- Tell us, what are the interests of Vadim and Karolina, in addition to studying?

- How independent are your children? What are their responsibilities?

What do you think, what needs to be instilled from childhood, what to teach, what to tell, so that in the future the child will become an independent and successful person?

How close is Vadim to Karolina? Or they are now starting a period when they hang signs on the door of their room “Do not enter without knocking! Private territory "?

Children love each other and when they part, they really yearn. There is an older brother, there is a younger sister, this feeling is formed in everyone. I say to Vadim: “You are our protector, you are our man. And we are girls, we need your strong shoulder. " And he understands this. Just like I say to Caroline: "This is your older brother, you must listen to him." They take care of each other, and this makes me happy as a mother.

- Do children already ask you uncomfortable adult questions?

- Where do children like to live more - in Ukraine or in the USA?

They like where mom is (smiles).

- Do they have friends?

- Admit it, do you like to do everyday life in the USA? Decorating the house? Or do you live with your whole family on suitcases?

Of course, like any woman, I want to have coziness and comfort, and I decorate the house as best I can with all sorts of little things that delight the eye. On Friday, when I come home from work, and the children have already finished their homework by that time, we watch a movie together. Or, recently, they "got hooked" on the TV project "Heads and Tails". We have favorite presenters - Lesya Nikityuk and Andrey Bednyakov. The children already have a plan: which countries they want to go to, what to see.

- Do you like to cook?

Our mom is responsible for the kitchen. She prepares us borscht and soups, and I am a salad specialist (laughs). Usually kids are skeptical about salads, but they eat mine with great pleasure, especially Vadim. I, of course, tell children about proper nutrition, what is good to eat and what is not. But sometimes we want fries and some cola chips. I work a lot, so my mom is mainly involved in cooking. She often grills meats or fish, or bakes them in the oven. We eat a lot of fruits, since in America they are available in large quantities and varieties all year round. We try to eat fruits before lunch, because they have a lot of sugar, and it is not very healthy. A year and a half ago, I went for a consultation with nutritionist Natalya Samoylenko not to lose weight (my weight is okay), but to learn how to eat right. So, my nutritionist recommends that carbohydrates be before lunch, and proteins after. And no red vegetables and fruits in the afternoon because they are high in sugar! We try to adhere to these nutritional rules. I can cook everything, but I won't say that I like to do it, because when I cook, I immediately feel like eating (laughs). And in order not to gain weight, I go in for sports three times a week. She painted a program of physical activity for herself: running four kilometers, then warm-up and exercises for the press, legs, upper shoulder girdle. Women have mostly problem areas - waist, butt, legs, so I focus on these parts of the body in the warm-up.

- What do you not allow children to eat?

- Lily, what is it not customary in your family to spend a lot of money on, but on what, on the contrary, you don’t mind the money?

- Tell us, what did you indulge yourself with the last time? Maybe it's a massage, an expensive dress, a cruise ...

I lead an active life, so for me the most comfortable thing is trousers, jeans. Jeans are my love, I have a lot of them. They even send me jeans specially from Ukraine of some young brands. I love that they have some kind of zest, so that they stand out in some way. And comfortable shoes for me are sneakers. This is very important now. They are worn under the dress and under the skirt. As you get older, you focus more on comfort, taking into account your own rhythm of life. I can't say that I love shopping. As you get older, you already clearly know what you need. I came, saw, bought - it's about me. And before, I could go shopping for hours (smiles).

Irina Pikulya