Kemerovo canoe slalom teamManaging a sports team on a zero budget
May. 2001 - Jun. 2006Kemerovo, RussiaWhen I moved to Kemerovo for my 6-year medical school journey, fate had a quirky plan for me. I ended up forming a small team for white-water slalom. I organized training sessions, arranged trips to competitions, and even helped create training spots with the team. It was like a startup with zero money, haha! But somehow, we even managed to scrape together a bit of funding for it. Now, if you were in Kemerovo, you might think it’s the last place on Earth for living, let alone pursuing sports. And honestly, I’d probably agree. But there I was, a fresh-faced 17-year-old, swept up in it all. Life does have its surprises, doesn’t it? What lessons did I take away? Perhaps we were the most motivated team for a completely pointless pursuit, which is sports, haha. But the management experience was invaluable, and I guess I learned a bit about leadership too. I still don’t quite know why I ended up in that role; maybe I just cared the most))