Professional rower Viktorija Senkutė reveals that sports have accompanied her since childhood. At school, she tried various sports: square, football, volleyball, athletics, she was also indifferent to cycling, and discovered her passion for rowing at the age of fifteen.
“I was always a very active child, I had a lot of energy and I tried to “employ” it somewhere. But I started rowing when I was almost sixteen, you could say late compared to other professional athletes. Circumstances encouraged me to try this sport. I live in Trakai, the capital of rowing, and seeing the training of other athletes, I decided to try it myself, and this sport has been a part of my life for 13 years now,” the Olympian shares.
Visited and thoughts of quitting sports
V. Senkutė admits that he did not avoid difficult stages on his career path, when he hesitated whether it was worth continuing professional sports.
“I often thought that because of sports, I missed various events: graduations, birthdays, while other peers were having fun, I gave all my strength in competitions. But rowing was a dream of mine that I pursued with consistency and determination. That feeling of getting close to the goal made up for all the missed holidays. Motivation was also provided by the opportunity to go to study in America and continue a professional sports career there. That’s what I did, it was an invaluable experience for me, so I’m glad that more and more people are taking advantage of this sports opportunity, it can be the key to a bright future and a very high level of education,” says the athlete.
A study conducted in Lithuania on behalf of the “Always” brand on women’s physical activity during puberty confirms that the people around them really have a great influence on women’s choice to do sports.
Almost a third of the respondents revealed that the main reason for giving up sports or reducing their intensity was the lack of support and encouragement from those around them to do sports. Another majority (31 percent) said science needed more attention, while 19 percent said it needed more attention. respondents indicated a desire to spend more time with friends.
According to V. Senkutė, the support of others is a great motivation.
“I was lucky because I had coaches around me who supported me a lot. Motivation was also provided by other athletes with whom we trained together. However, at school I had to receive negative comments from my peers, as if the chosen sport is masculine and I do too much sports. I want to emphasize that there are no women’s and men’s sports, all sports are for everyone and everyone has the right to try what we want. I think there will always be people who say it’s not worth trying or trying, but maybe they just don’t have their dream. You should distance yourself from such thoughts, listen to your heart and achieve your goals”, V. Senkutė shares.
The new goal is to motivate others by your example
The rower reveals that the medal won at the Paris Summer Olympics gave her even more motivation to reach the heights of the sport and inspire others.
“After winning the medal, there was a lot of attention and emotions. But for me, this win proved once again that if you work hard and pursue your dream, despite difficulties and setbacks, anything is possible. I want to spread this message to everyone, to inspire young athletes, because I know that believing in yourself is sometimes the most difficult task,” reveals V. Senkutė.
Speaking about the benefits of sports, V. Senkutė claims that sports helped her become the person she is today.
“First of all, there was a sense of responsibility. Due to the intense training schedule, my discipline became stronger, which also had a positive effect on my academic results. I remember that I almost didn’t have to study at home anymore, because I started to concentrate much better on the information given in class, I was able to better hear and understand what the teachers were saying, it was a very big change”, says the athlete.
V. Senkutė also singles out improved teamwork skills, which accompanied all stages of his career and personal life.
“Working as a team, we support each other because we know that we are driven by one goal. This skill helped me a lot both at school and university, and later at work. Also, sports strengthened not only my own self-confidence, but also the confidence of other people. I think that sport gives not only a strong body, but also a healthy, strong soul,” says the Olympian.
The results of the study also reveal the benefits of sports for personality development. More than half of girls who exercised during puberty say an active lifestyle has improved their physical fitness, and 1 in 3 girls say their self-confidence has increased. The respondents also saw the benefits of the ability to cope with stress and the development of teamwork. Every tenth (10%) girl indicates improved leadership skills, 9% – greater academic and work success.
Therefore, Always is continuing the social campaign “Let’s support athletes” for the second time, the aim of which is to encourage girls’ self-confidence through sports. From August 1st to September 29th, 0.09 euros will be donated to the “AY Institute” association from every package of “Always” hygiene packages purchased in any retail chain throughout Lithuania. The collected funds will be allocated to sports and educational activities in Lithuanian schools, encouraging teenage girls to actively participate in sports activities and find their favorite.
The most important thing is to take the first step
V. Senkutė advises girls who are hesitant to try sports because they are afraid of the reactions of others or lack courage to follow her example – to go to a new sport with a friend.
“First of all, I would just suggest that you think about what’s the worst that will happen if we just try.” When you think about it, you realize that the worst case scenario is not as bad as we create in our minds. And if you are still not brave, you can do as I did. I started rowing with my best friend. So I really wish girls to gather all their courage and try. Maybe it will be your new dream and a new goal that you will get up for every day,” advises the athlete.
You can discover your favorite sport already on September 6, from 16:00 to 20:00. White bridge sports field in Vilnius, where the free sports event “Always sports day” will take place. At the event, it will be possible to try 4 different sports classes: pilates, boxing, street dance and zumba.
2024-08-23 14:05:36