Interview with Valeria Baranovskaya [2012]

On March 22nd-24th 2019 the European and World Finswimming champion Valeria Baranovskaya from Russia took part to the 2nd round of the CMAS World Cup 2019 in Lignano Sabbiadoro. She got very good results as always, but this time she wore a different team jacket, the Aquani Nivelle-Belgium one.

Valeria won 200sf with the time of 1.27:50, a very good time, and 100sf in 39:92. We want to show you and old interview that Finswimmer Magazine made to her in the far 2012, when she used to swim 200sf in 1.28:50!

Hello Valeria, you are one of the best Finswimmers all over the World, tell us about your career since the beginnings.

Hello! I started finswimming in 12 years! Before to that I was in sport gymnastics 8 years! Almost all my life im in sport! And come to finswimming with good physical shape, but I don’t know how to swim! During training, my coach (Zadorozhnyaya Olga, the best coach for me) noticed me and ask to try swimming in monofin. When the first time I wore a monofin, I thought, “How can swim in it?” and for the first time, my technique was such terribly that my coach wanted to cry)) But I quickly began to receive. I got in his element.

What do you do in your life? What kind of job/studies? How do you mix work/study and sport?

Finswimming this is not just a hobby, but also an important part of my life. I love this sport. Me like when little kids want to be like me! I like knowing that I’m an example of someone and that motivate young people to achieve goals! A one year ago, I finish studies of sports disciplines! Now i don’t work coach, but I help my coaches with kids, and practicing myself!In the future I plan to share my experience as a coach, but plan to study further, and perhaps it will not be related to sports!

1’28″50 on 200sf…Amazing and unbeliveable World Record…How did you feel the day you swam it?

As you think 200 meters is my favorite distants. How can i feel myself then i exceed the World record? I feel great! I’m training so hard before World Cup in Italia, but then i swam by the world record, I was very suprised. In that day all was normal. I came to the pool, warmed up and swam. This is unbelievable feeling! I wash that everyone test this fellings. 1.28.50 is amazing time, but I want more, I want a time which suprised me and everyone!

Who are your favorite Finswimmers and why? Who is/was your point of reference?

My favourite in finswimming and my friend is Igor Saprykin! I am swimming with him all my life!In one pool! He has always been and will be surprisingly strong athlete, an example for me! He taught me a lot, and not only in sports! I grew up on his advice! At the competition winning Igor Saprykin inspired me, I always wanted to be like him. Thanks him!

What do you like about Finswimming? And what do you hate?

Finswimming is beautiful and dynamic sport. I love our sport for speed, adrenaline, for feeling fear from distance, for unbelievable happiness when we win! The moves of the sportsmen like a dolphin moves. This kind of sport gift me a lot of friends. How we can’t love this sport? But the big problem is that we haven’t get any money for this sport and many talented sportsmen should the end their career, because they need а work and need in money. This is difficult decision.

If you could do something, what would you do to let Finswimming grow?

If I could do something to make our sport an Olympic, I will do it! This is dream all finswimmers! And I know what some people do a lot of things that can help our sport to be Olympic! At the Universiade in Kazan will be presented our sport on the opening ceremony, this can help! So we will wait!

What do you do that you are tanned all year ? Where are you training?

Many peoples ask me “how i am training in outdoor pool”? My pool doesn’t have roof all year! I am swimming in winter, when snow, rain, wind!temperature water in winter +29+30! The pool has special output when we go in water and where we dress monofins in winter time! Very difficult to go to the training at 6 am, on street -15 and swimming in cold water! But in summer is so cool! We are swimming under sun, after training we can sunbathe and so my skin always brown!)))