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Elena

Elena Tverdokhleb


Last Updated: 11/21/2009

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Gender: Female
Status: Married
Age: 38
Sign: Cancer

City: Kiev
Country: UA
Signup Date: 3/30/2006
Sunday, May 24, 2009 
6:31 PM
 
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Elena
Elena Tverdokhleb

 
My interview
Category: Sports
1. Give us a little background about yourself and both your careers, as a boxer and sports lawyer.
 
Yet being a child, I went into sports, starting with team sports and up to track and field athletics. In mid 80th, when woman judo came into view, I became quite a successful fighter: within two years, I became winner in Kyiv championships, an awarded in the championship of Ukraine, and in a range of international tournaments. But those were not my dreams… In 1991, I met a trainer dealing with promotion of woman kickboxing and boxing, and he helped me understand that was exactly what I wanted and needed. I made considerable progress in popular in 90th kickboxing, and yet in 1992, was awarded my first silver medal in WAKO X Europe Championship in Greece, followed by the bronze medal in WAKO IX World Championship in Budapest in 1993. One more fact, in 1993 my dream came true – I entered the faculty of law of the famous National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. It was easy for me to study, I enjoyed my studies and con-tinued going in for kickboxing. In 1995, I became World Champion in WAKO X Kyiv World Championship, and WAKO European Professional Champion. In 1997, in Milan, I became the World Professional Champion according to American ISKA.
In 1998, I graduated from the magistracy of the faculty of law, and got the position of the legal department leader in a joint-stock company, where I’d worked for a period of six years. Then I headed the legal department in a group of companies of Ukrainian operator at ....... , one of the major transnational operators of the gambling industry. Casinos for me became not the place of amusement, but a place of professional activities.
Following several years of making my legal carrier, and giving birth to my son, I came back to sports and starting 2003, began working in professional boxing. Yet in April 2005, in Marseille, I fought for the WBA Box World Champion.
 
2.What made you decide to make the switch from athlete to sports professional?
 
I have always dreamt about fighting, I used to be the leader and participant in all the battle roy-als, even older boys were often afraid of me. I used to be afraid of neither tooth knocked out, nor noses broken… Everyone thinks my nose is broken due to my sports professional, but this is a hello from my childhood. It shouldn’t be surprising that as soon as woman judo came into view, followed by kickboxing and box, I have not been even pondering over going into it. I used to think this is the sports for me.
 
3. Why law?
 
I think this was an instinctive choice, but I have never begrudged upon my choice, time and again being satisfied with its correctness. Within years of my practical legal experience, I be-came one of the best specialists in corporate, economic, administrative, civil law, and intellectual property right.
 
4. How did your athletic background help shape your professional career? What skills and characteristics from your athletic career do you find most helpful for your professional career?
 
I wouldn’t speak about sports as my past, it does help me in my life, first of all it helps me to be organized, promotes my ability of standing up to my opponents, being calm and working irrespective of any weariness, i.e. the best qualities born in my athletic carrier. Even my reputation of a professional lawyer but not a professional boxer is also born by my past athletic carrier.
 
5. You’ve mentioned in a past interview that boxing is just a hobby while your law ca-reer is your job, why not the other way around with your boxing career your job?
Nothing has changed since that time; I would say I’ve never dreamt about boxing as my job, that would have deprived me of pleasure of boxing being my exciting hobby. Boxing is a hobby, my law career is my job, my life is my family, and I am not going to change my life style.
 
6. Where are you currently in your boxing career? Do you have any upcoming fights?
 
Taking into account my age, i.e. now I’m 37, I could rather say that I’m in the final stage of my boxing carrier but we will see.  One year ago, I gave birth to my second child, and now I’m back into sports. As soon as I feel I’m ready, I plan to inform Michele Akaris promotional company thereabout, and want to meet Anne Sophie Mathis. This promotional company used to plan our meeting twice, but something has always prevented it. Taking into account that 80% of her fights she won by KO, no a lot of persons except me, who want to meet her.
 
7. What are your goals for your boxing career?
 
Of course, I strive to become a World Champion, but I wouldn’t cry if I fail. In my sports carrier, I’m governed by a principle “it’s not so important I win or lost, the most important is the way I fight”.
 
8. Has it been difficult to be taken seriously as a woman in either of your careers?
 
I’ve never even hesitated, I used to be taken seriously in both my carriers, both in sports and law. Speaking about professional law conflicts, I’m taken seriously as far as am completely qualified in all the issues under consideration. With mockers , my point of view can be proven not only with verbal evidence, but also with fists. This seems to be better than swallowing insults. Profi-ciency and intelligence shall be based upon fists, otherwise mockers shall step on them.
 
9. As women’s boxing increases in popularity, what are you doing to promote the sport both in the Ukraine and globally?
 
One shall ask Ukrainian sport functionaries, but the latter will hardly mention their success in this sphere. Not being a functionary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, I may be only an example for them. Understanding inspiration of anyone by my own experience makes me happy. With the sponsor’s help, I used to train a woman team going in for single combats. I used to administer get-together for sparring fights, the latter promoting understanding of training disadvantages and getting necessary field experience. Girls used to compete in boxing, Thai box-ing, extreme fighting, and submission wrestling. Say the least of it, this used to be a unique team.
 
10. Where do you see the future of women’s boxing going?
 
I hope women’s boxing will be included into the Olympics, if not in Y2012 in London, so in Y2016 in Chicago.
 
11. Are there aspects of the sport that you would like to see changed?
 
Box is a set of traditions, one shall not change anything, but for refereeing system: judging notes may be recalled in amateur boxing, for each judge to feel his own responsibility, ‘cause often we see something like judging lawlessness killing the very essence of sport both in women’s and men’s sports.
Speaking about women’s amateur boxing, I’d pay attention to the dressing of participants. Today we see men’s mid leg shorts, and men’s dimensionless “undershirts”. Spectators see a fight of dystrophic boys, if not more comic. As one my friend said (he was a sponsor of my team) having watched women’s amateur boxing, “Never will this sport be profitable”. Just fancy interest of spectators in synchronous swimming, track and field athletics, gymnastics or beach volleyball, should women participants be dressed in men’s “undershirts” and mid leg shorts…
 
12. Do you have any advice for aspiring athletes or sports professionals?
 
Hardly professional sportsmen need my advices. Speaking about girls starting their carrier in boxing or other single combat, I would advice them to appraise their personal psychological and forceful qualities, and start their trainings only if they are absolutely definite in meeting a real rival in a real fight. Otherwise they would be disappointed. Dancing, aerobics, and usual train-ings will be much more profitable for such girls if compared with time spent for boxing train-ings. Whatever we may say, boxing and fighting sports fit not to every women, just like it’s not for all men also.

 
Posted by Elena on Sunday, June 21, 2009 - 9:36 PM
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