Maria Pinigina Biography

The legend of athletics Maria Pinigina: “Arriving in Kyiv, the first thing we go to Bessarak with my husband - to choose the lard” When in the year an unchanged mentor of the athlete Vyacheslav Zelinsky decided to move from Frunze to his homeland, Ukraine, Maria went without hesitation with her beloved coach to Kyiv. Here she met her future husband, the triumph of the freestyle wrestling games, the three -time world champion Pavel Pinigin, who then also played for Ukraine.

After the end of the sports career, the star family moved to live in Yakutsk - to the homeland of Paul. She was very delighted with a call from Ukraine, with which she has so many pleasant memories. But athletes - they are optimists! Yes, and Sports hardening makes itself felt. And when I watch the competition, then in general I forget about my "advanced" age. Now in Yakutsk, preparations for our anniversaries are going on with might and main.

Pal Palych, my husband, is also a round date soon - on March 12 he will be 60 years old. We are waiting for the guests from Ukraine, our fellow countrymen. Yes, yes, I did not make a reservation. We count our colleagues in sports - fighters, athletes with whom they played for Ukraine, fellow countrymen. But how else? Last fall, I saw him in Kyiv at the competitions held at my native Stadium Spartak.

Vyacheslav Vladimirovich is 75 years old, but he is so strong, cheerful. Singing is still that! He began to recall our sports life. Already eyes lit up. But who is to root for? After all, my husband and I are holding Ukrainian athletes and for Russian fists. Yes, and I do not forget my native Kyrgyzstan. The village of Ivanovka, where I was born, is located 40 kilometers from Frunze now Bishkek.

Our village spread out in a beautiful valley near the mountains. Father was the head of the railway station. Mom worked at the factory. I was the youngest of four children. We rarely saw my father. How did my mother manage to raise us, and work, and tasty stoves, and embroider? I am still surprised. I grew up with a brisk girl, Shustro, overtook all the guys. For a long time this was discussed in our family.

At the age of 12, they decided to give me to the boarding school. Of course, at first I really did not like it there - all according to schedule, mode. Five times went home - boarding the bus and forward. The coach and the director came, persuaded my parents to bring me back. Mom cried, between the two lights rushed in the 9th grade, I won the All-Union Cross for the prizes of the Pravda newspaper.

It was then that she received her first prize and received-coupons for power. The cooks in the boarding school were respected, often a double portion was given. After the prize place at the championship, the USSR fell into the junior team. I was immediately put on a scholarship. And for some reason they gave two bets. Huge money for a girl. But for the first six months I did not see this high scholarship in my eyes-some kind of certificate was not enough.

And then they gave me a mountain of money! I gave everything to a penny to my mother. She was very surprised: “Where, daughter, that kind of money? What struck in America? Yes, nothing so special. Tin jars with this drink lay in the refrigerators. And the spray too. I remember that we were dressed right in the stadium from head to toe in Levi Strauss branded clothes. From each trip I brought gifts to the sisters, brother, coach and his family.

And how classmates and classmates waited for gifts - chews, badges, sweets, I was so happy that I managed to fulfill my mother’s dream. But she could have performed at the Olympics. At 22, I owned the second best result in the world in meters.

But it so happened that I did not perform in Moscow. Oh, how was my mother upset! .. Instead, Soviet athletes were forced to perform at the international games of the year “Friendship” in Prague I won there. And only at the age of 30, when she was already finishing his sports career, I managed to perform at my real Olympics. We met on January 11, at a meeting of the Olympians at the Arsenal plant, I had already moved to Ukraine by that time.

I remember that the coach still did not let me go to this event, barely escaped. Wasn’t it scary to get acquainted with such a pumped -up solid fighter, by then the Olympic champion of Montreal? Yes, we ourselves were not small. Pavel called me back the next day. But no dates. He was very seriously preparing for games in Moscow. The hand and heart offered me immediately after the Olympics.

The wedding was played in the blue hall of the Rus Hotel. A year later, our firstborn was born - Pal Palych, like his dad. Nine months after birth, she resumed training. My husband supported me in everything, even went to training with me. We lived then in Darnitsa. Near the forest, the stadium. Paul and I played basketball, and volleyball and tennis. The husband with her son with a stroller walks, and I run through the woods of cross.

Although now I am surprised for myself how I managed to educate everything - to educate my son, and go to the training camp. It was hard. True, two years before the Olympic Games in Seoul could not stand it, broke. But life forced: to feed her husband and three sons - a serious matter ” - were they cried on the Olympic pedestal?Recently, I just reviewed photos from the games in Seoul.

Rejoiced, laughed. After the finish, in the relay, the American Florence Griffith-Joyner approached the autograph of the American, whose records in the run to and meters are still holding on. And I, in turn, asked for an autograph from her. After the games, the girls and I went to Monaco for awarding. And then the husband decided to move to Yakutsk. No, that you, my spouse, I have never prevailed.

It was remembered that the Secretary General of O-o-oh-very long spoke. As soon as his speech was withstood. We, athletes, are not used to sitting in one place. But what to do - we must often visit Paul in Ukraine. But first of all, we go to the Bessarak to choose. In Yakutsk, Salo can also be bought, but it is completely not the same as Ukrainian. Better our fat - yes with garlic - nowhere in the world.

It is not easy to feed such a horde. Three sons, husband.