Today at 15:50
The Ukrainian female athletes arrived for the photoshoot at a wrestling hall.
It was one project the Ukrainian Wrestling Association launched to promote the sport.
This is the third consecutive year the association has released a calendar featuring successful athletes. Last year, the female athletes posed with their kids for a calendar titled “Champion Moms.” This year’s topic is “Sport Unites Ukraine.” Young female wrestlers from across the country posed with those who inspire them.
“So that they would know what to strive for and where to move, so that our girls, members of the team, would serve as role models for children,” project organizer Yevheniya Pavlova said.
The 2014 world champion in women’s wrestling, Yuliya Tkach, was joined by her young colleagues from the Zaporizhia and Luhansk regions.
“It inspires us to keep winning and receiving medals to be proud of. And of course, it inspires the girls to achieve what they’re striving for,” Tkach said.
“At first, we exchanged Instagrams, and I asked her questions about wrestling. She gave me advice: ‘Never give up and keep going until the end,'” project participant Kateryna Martynenko said.
European champion Oksana Livach was among the participants. She is set to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She said she’s happy to take a break from training for a good cause and to have fun in the process.
“They did our makeup and our hair, we got a chance to feel so feminine, to feel like pretty girls and pose in front of a camera. It’s always a pleasure, and we love moments like this,” Livach said.
The calendar will be ready in December. The first copies will be delivered to athletes who won prizes at the Ukrainian Cup. Then, the calendar will be available for purchase across the country.
