It all began back in 1996, when the Olympic Games were held in the American city of Atlanta. One of the best Ukrainian athletes, Donetsk native Liliya Podkopayeva, also went to them. The Georgia Dome, where the artistic gymnastics competitions took place, was packed to capacity. 45 thousand spectators in the stands, naturally, especially diligently supported their compatriots, periodically starting to chant "USA!" Even the then US President Bill Clinton came with his family to watch the competition.
The rivals were afraid of the Ukrainian – at that time she was the reigning champion of Europe and the world. But on the first apparatus, Liliya performed not very successfully, finishing only sixth in the overall standings. The vault was not Podkopayeva's strong point, so she was not particularly upset – she knew that the most interesting for her rivals was ahead. The second was the Donetsk native's least favorite apparatus – the uneven bars - but here the athlete performed very well, letting only the host country's gymnast Dominique Dawes from the USA pass ahead. Naturally, the audience supported their gymnast and rather coldly received the performance of a guest from a distant and at that time unknown country – Ukraine
During the performance on one of the most dangerous apparatus – the balance beam – Liliya did everything perfectly, receiving a fairly high score from the judges. But the American Dawes could not cope with the excitement – she fell off the apparatus and, as a result, dropped out of medal contention. Podkopayeva moved up to third place, with only the Chinese and Russian gymnasts ahead.
And here it is – the moment of truth! Floor exercises have always been considered Podkopayeva's strong point, and what her coaches Galina Losinskaya, Oleh Ostapenko and choreographer Svetlana Dubova prepared for the Olympics, many even called a masterpiece. Having performed the exercise without a hitch, the 18-year-old miniature Liliya, raising her arms, froze in place, bowed to the spectators.. And then the silence was broken by a roar of applause. The American audience welcomed the new Olympic champion in the all-around, as everyone understood that no one could outdo Liliya. The judges also confirmed this with their decision, giving the Donetsk native the highest score of the tournament – 9.887 points!
No one could resist the charming and very artistic Liliya – every present photographer tried to capture the heroine, and the tears of the little girl standing on the podium melted the hearts of Americans. President Clinton personally congratulated the athlete on her victory.
"What did I feel at that moment? Above all – pride," Podkopayeva would later say. "Pride that you were able to 'raise' the President of America, who was then in the hall with his family. Pride that your work and the work of the people who helped you were not in vain.
Olympic gold is the dream of a lifetime for any athlete, and when you achieve that goal, fatigue, emptiness, physical pain result in a peculiar emotional state – tears are inevitable. I dedicated this medal to my grandmother Evelina Mikhailovna, who died exactly one month before the Olympic Games. It was she who brought me to gymnastics and gave me life in this sport. Moreover, I was very pleased that our country is first and best."
Podkopayeva became a true embodiment of the American Dream. And not only because she is beautiful and talented, but also because she was able to surprise the audience with her ingenuity. The fact is that leotards in artistic gymnastics had long been forbidden to be decorated in any way, and in principle, no one even tried to do that. But the gymnasts of the Ukrainian national team took a risk – they designed their own leotards. At the back, on the spine, they sewed in a mesh instead of fabric, so that the shoulders appeared bare. In addition, they also decorated the leotard with sparkles, becoming pioneers in creating fashion for gymnastics leotards. It was then that Liliya first heard the American "sexy" addressed to her.
The fanfares of the Atlanta Games died down, where Liliya earned another gold medal – in the floor exercise final, and a flurry of offers from Americans fell upon the Ukrainian. She was offered to become a coach, perform in various shows, become the face of one of the many sports companies, and even marry a rich cowboy! What can I say, if after the Games in the USA 1,500 newborn girls received the name Liliya!
But Podkopayeva took such attention absolutely calmly – she really wanted to continue her athletic career, but injuries prevented this. Numerous fractures of arms and legs sustained during her successful career made themselves felt. And leaving the podium as a defeated athlete was also not in Liliya's rules – she decided to leave gymnastics as a champion and immediately turned to American doctors for help.
Podkopayeva had surgery, removing the 'spikes' on her joint, but the gymnast was in no hurry to return to her native Ukraine. First, she traveled to 60 American cities with exhibition performances. Moreover, she was invited personally by President Clinton – the only athlete from the CIS. Then Liliya was offered a one-year contract to work as a coach in one of the gymnastics clubs. At first it was very difficult – like any athlete who had just ended their career, she had to start from scratch. Liliya did not know basic things, did not know how to cook, did not speak English.
"Having been in America for a year, I felt how comfortable it is to live there," shared the Donetsk native. "In the USA, you get an education, go to work where you get paid – everything is monotonous. A big plus is that I improved my English there and tried myself in adult life.
When I left professional gymnastics in 1997, I decided to only perform in exhibition shows. After big-time sports, I realized I was completely 'bare' - I didn't know what to do or how to behave in everyday life. It was incredibly hard, although friends and acquaintances helped me. They say a smart person learns from others' mistakes. In fact, no. Experience is gained from one's own mistakes and, of course, the wise advice of others.
When I returned to Ukraine, I sobbed with happiness – it was so pleasant to return to my native land and breathe the native air. I remember how once in Israel (we went there for an international tournament) I saw Jews who kissed the ground upon arrival in Jerusalem. I felt the same sensation when I came home…»
Lilia resolutely rejected all offers to change her citizenship: 'It was painful, insulting, vexing, but I still understood: my place is here, in Ukraine. I must, with all its pros and cons, do something for my country, for Ukrainian children. This very thought helped me move forward and enjoy life. I am truly happy that I live in Ukraine.'
But Podkopayeva also noted positive factors of life in the USA: 'I admire Americans, seeing how they treat athletes. For them, these people are heroes. That is their life philosophy – Americans raise their children on the example of those who have achieved certain results in life. I note that I am loyal and diplomatic to any state, any nation. Everyone has their own culture, their own mentality, in every country there are good people and bad. Of course, I missed communication with friends, our theaters, museums. But if you come to another country, you must adapt and adjust, find an approach to people.'
When the contract ended, Lilia returned home, but did not break ties with America. Every summer she went for three months to the other continent, where she still worked with children. And soon, sportswear by Lilia Podkopayeva began to be produced in the USA. In addition to organizational matters, the Ukrainian woman also participated in the development of the clothing line.
'During our first trip to Los Angeles to the fabric factory, I brought my sketches,' Lilia said. 'They told me that everything was very beautiful, but it would be very expensive, especially for a novice businessman. And they advised me to make something simpler. So I entered the Donetsk Academy of Management, faculty of foreign economic relations management. That is what came in handy for me both in Ukraine and abroad.'
Two American partners help me run the business. After all, the language problem is still relevant – to know English well, you need to be born in America or at least live there since childhood. On a daily level, I have command of English, but I remember when I first came to the States, it was tears, sniffles, 'hi-bye'. After seven-hour training sessions in the gym, lessons with a tutor went by the principle 'in one ear and out the other'. But then I came to a school to coach and worked with children for three months. Communication with them really helped in learning the language.'
However, now Lilia has stepped back a bit from affairs abroad – she has many activities in her homeland as well, because Podkopayeva not only holds the 'Golden Lily' festival but also works with her husband Timofei Nagorny at the company 'Sport-Service', and is also a UN Goodwill Ambassador on HIV and AIDS. Moreover, recently the family of Podkopayeva and Nagorny increased by one little person – the wonderful couple had a baby named Vadim, whom Lilia and Timofei adopted, and soon he will have a little sister – Lilia is in an 'interesting position'.
'We are trying to do something in Ukraine, opening schools,' the champion says. 'Recently the sports and health camp was renamed – from now on it is called "Golden Lily". We want to create something like a sports "Artek", so that our children gain strength there. According to statistics, out of ten newborns, only one is completely healthy. We are degrading, sliding somewhere down, and this will continue until the state turns its face to this problem.'
Moreover, now there is a mad coaching outflow in Ukraine, and all our best personnel end up abroad. I would like my coach and the head coach of the Ukrainian national team to return here and train our kids, rather than our competitors in other countries.'