Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva on the first day of the selection process for the preschools additional education groups spoke with Academy students, coaches and teachers.
After completing the selection process, she turned to the mentors, thanking them and the Academy director Tatyana Kolesnikova for their work, and stressed that she is always ready to help.
"I really am grateful to you for taking this first step yourself. This will be an unusual experience indeed. But I am sure that we will all succeed. We need to be more united. I know all of you are good and kind people, that’s what’s most important. And you love your job! You have incredible experience. My dream is slowly coming true thanks to you", she said.
The Olympic champion also recalled her story of starting rhythmic gymnastics.
"This is the first such project in our Academy. It was my dream once when I was invited to participate in this project, in the construction of the Academy. And we were already initially setting up classrooms, because I wanted little children to come here, as I once came to rhythmic gymnastics at the age of three and a half. I also went through all this, and I am very glad that children will be able to not just go out for sports, but also develop intellectually, all under one roof as they say. And thank you for being you! Nothing will work without people," she said.
In addition, the Academy students told the Olympic champion how their first day of school went at the Sirius Lyceum.
Alina Kabaeva, in turn, reminded the young gymnasts that they must not only train well, but also study hard.
"We will get results not only in sports, but also at school. And it's great that there is such an educational center as Sirius nearby. I am actually very glad that you will also have this type of education. It's very, very important at any rate. And most importantly, it's within walking distance. You will have time to come to training, and train here. And if we leave for competitions, we will be online, so it’s okay, we will make a deal with the teachers, they will help you. And we are also nearby".