Self-belief is the key!

I've been asked many times: "Why do so many children dream of space, yet so few actually make it there?" I explain the importance of not fearing ambitious goals, not being afraid to challenge oneself, and say what to do next. To an onlooker, it might seem that cosmonauts are super-humans of sorts who wake up every morning, exercise, and look towards the rising sun thinking about new challenges waiting for them. In the evening, wiping sweat from their brows, satisfied with having completed another unimaginable task, they are contemplating the sunset and thinking, "Well, so it goes."

Frankly speaking, I'd love that to be true, but "tales are quickly spun, while deeds take longer to be done."

Here's a curious story from my life. You may already know that I initiated the creation of the Badminton Federation of the Oryol Region, and now I am the head of it. It was announced in May 2018 and actively developing ever since. Meanwhile, development requires resources, whether you like it or not. So, one day in early 2019, I approached some acquaintances from the banking sector with a rather obvious request. Their answer was quite specific: "We don't distribute funds for development as such. However, organizing an international tournament is another story." At that moment, a thought literally rang and visualized in my head: "A tournament! Spot on! How could I have missed it?" Senior colleagues in the badminton community explained without ambiguity that it's impossible to coordinate an international tournament with the World Badminton Federation (WBF) within six months. However, they believed that we, even though we appeared on the country's badminton map just a bit more than a year ago, could properly organize and hold a three-star All-Russian Youth Grand Prix tournament (the highest status, and I wouldn't settle for less). So they gave their approval saying, "It's easier to support you than to stop you." On one hand, I greatly valued their trust in me and realized that I had no right to let them down. On the other hand, this was a real challenge both for me personally and for our entire team. None of us had any experience in organizing even regional competitions according to all rules and standards, let alone national events. We had to do a lot and learn many things, but in any case, nothing could be done without money. We needed it to buy shuttlecocks, pay for the venue, and so forth. Time was flying by, but no financial support came from those who had planted the idea of a tournament in my head. About six months later, they apologized and explained that, unfortunately, they couldn't help due to circumstances beyond their control.

Nevertheless, we successfully held the tournament, because all this time, we had been working, not sitting idle waiting for specific "sponsorship manna." This challenge-tournament became a landmark, a transition point to a new level. In 2020, we were entrusted with hosting five interregional and all-Russian competitions.

Why am I writing about this? I want to acknowledge those people who, although unable to help financially, gave me a much more important assistance. They instilled in me the idea and confidence that organizing and conducting a tournament of such caliber was possible. They became catalysts for our development. After all, we definitely were capable of organizing and conducting such an event, but that never even occurred to us. We just didn't believe we could do it.

This is yet another blatant example of how we set the boundaries of what's possible for ourselves and decide what's beyond reach! It doesn't matter what heights or depths you've reached before; every day you face new challenges, and each time you decide what you can or cannot do. And in such cases, bear in mind that you are the one who sets the horizon of what’s possible. The decision is only up to you, and it may be further from both the society stereotypes and your own yesterday vision of it than you can imagine.

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On my visit to an exhibition at Planetarium No. 1 in St. Petersburg, I saw the capsule and spacesuit of Felix Baumgartner, who, in collaboration with Red Bull, became the first person to break the sound barrier in free fall on October 14, 2012. These exhibits vividly reminded me that we are the ones who determine the horizons of our possibilities!