Galery

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Emanuela Karastoyanova

    Born in Igoumenitsa since 2003 until now the 25 years old athlete has taken part in more that 15 European and international championships. This year she won two gold medals in single scull from the world cups in Switzerland and Spain and a gold medal at the Mediterranean championship. Few days ago she was announced to be the best athlete of Greece for 2009.

Alexandra Tsiavou – the best athlete for 2009 shares for GRREPORTER the joy from the prize, the love for the rowing, about her first victory and all the memories from it.

GRREPORTER: Did you expect that it would be just you to win the prize?

Alexandra: I felt that this year I have greater chances to take the first place… And I have already been a candidate for this prize. Now this happened.

GRREPORTER: Tell us about how was your love for the sport born and why exactly rowing?

Alexandra: My love for the sport was born in my early childhood. Like every other little child I was looking for a way to use up my energy. My parents were also looking for opportunities. The coach offered my parents to sing me up in a rowing club which was just starting its activity at that time and had opened up only few months earlier. I was in the sixth grade when I had my first contact with the rowing.

GRREPORTER: How long have you been competing now?

Alexandra: Almost one decade of sport seasons.

GRREPORTER: What does the day look like for an athlete like yourself?

Alexandra: The practices are twice a day and they last for three hours each. Everything goes around my program of practices. First the practices have to finish and only then comes everything else.

GRREPORTER: What is the price which usually has to be paid by each athlete who practices a sport as hard as you?

Alexandra: We cannot talk about a price. This is not something which we can put in some kind of frames. You give a lot from yourself, not just from your personal spare time, but also from your mental power. You give a lot from your character as well. Luckily everything I have given so far has come back to me. I have never lost anything.

GRREPORTER: What gives you strength in the difficult moments?

Alexandra: Usually this is the thought about how much sweat and efforts I have put into reaching this far. The work that I have done. Of course also the people who are next to me and who when they see me losing hope are usually reminding me of what I have achieved so far ant that this is the road I have to walk on… That it will all pass and I will be better. In such moments I also try to convince myself that when you have reached the bottom there is no other way to go but to climb back up.

GRREPORTER: I understand that the love of your relatives and the people close to you plays an important role…

Alexandra: Yes, defiantly.

GRREPORTER: Could you tell us about your first victory and your memories related to it?

Alexandra: My first victory was together with my best friend from the times back then (we are still friends with her). We were with a double scull and just before the final we found out we are first, however we couldn’t believe it. We were wondering if we had confused anything or if some kind of mistake had happened. We were constantly asking each other: “Are you sure that we are first? Had we made some mistake?.. Row so that we reach the final and then we will see…”. We started a conversation in the boat, we just couldn’t believe we are so far ahead.

GRREPORTER: This is a really wonderful memory…

Alexandra: Yes, we were both so happy… incredibly happy!

GRREPORTER: The last question is about your plans for the nearest future…

Alexandra: This of course is the world championship in 2010, which will be held in New Zealand. I want to take part in it and to be in my best shape… As well as the Olympic games in 2012 of course.

GRREPORTER: We wish you good luck and thank you for this interview.

Alexandra: Thank you as well.