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Natalia MudrikChampion of Ukraine, European champion in bullet shooting
Country:
 Ukraine |
Content:
Biography of Natalia Mudrik
Natalia Mudrik, the multiple Ukrainian champion and European champion in shooting, rarely finds joy in her own achievements. When asked to evaluate her results, Natalia is always modest. Each word she says clearly conveys her belief that she could have done better. Perhaps this is the right mindset. Self-satisfaction can be more dangerous than death in sports. Being pleased with today's results may lead to worse performance tomorrow. Natalia never lowers her standards and aims to at least maintain her current level of performance if she can't improve. Her victories come at a high price, with immense hard work behind each one. To achieve good results, she has to push through physical pain unrelated to training. The protocols don't mention how she feels during the competitions. Once she steps on the starting line, she forgets everything and focuses on the result. According to Natalia, every competition starts from zero, regardless of previous achievements.
Natalia's determination never ceases to amaze those around her, especially considering she underwent a serious spinal operation not too long ago. One would think that missing a few competitions would be understandable, but Natalia believes that competitions help maintain her athletic form and provide an opportunity to show what she's capable of. In 2007 alone, she traveled to five different countries for competitions. Such a dense schedule is common for disabled athletes. After her operation, she had to shoot standing from a pneumatic pistol, which posed a challenge. Due to a leg injury, she is allowed to perform exercises sitting down. However, she missed the second place by just two points. Despite this, Natalia's victory in the VI International Competition in Szczecin, Poland, where athletes from over 20 countries participated, went to Ukraine. Her teammate, Tatyana Podzyuban from Dnipropetrovsk, stood on the top spot. They are not just a team, but a sports family that always supports each other in difficult times. Natalia describes herself as her own competitor. She doesn't care who shoots next to her, as she believes it's important to overcome herself and her own emotions rather than focus on her competitors.
The next tournament is planned for April. Natalia hopes to achieve her best results in the tournaments that will take place in Turkey and Germany as preparation for the World Championships in July 2010 in Croatia. When it comes to success, Natalia Mudrik believes that if she doesn't think about it during the competitions, the results will come naturally.
In 2007, Natalia won the gold medal in the Open European Championship in Germany, outperforming her competitors and making it to the final. This victory was not her first, but certainly not her last. She considers these European Championships as responsible and serious competitions, and she is already diligently preparing for the next ones. Natalia dislikes two things - lies and betrayal. She values friendship and can forgive those who neglect her but tries to ignore envy and insincerity. However, she will never reveal the secrets of her soul to those who fail to appreciate her genuine aspirations.
Natalia is a true native of Kryvyi Rih. Despite its uniqueness and dissimilarity to other cities, she wouldn't trade it for any capital in the world. It's hard to recall when exactly she felt this sense of patriotism. Perhaps it was when her achievements were first recognized by the city authorities, who awarded her the "For Merit to the City" sign. Even today, she is one of the youngest recipients of this distinction in the city. Maybe it was when her world shrank to four walls due to a twist of fate. But it all started somewhere else. The specialized school with an emphasis on English was the closest one to the Prudy bus stop, where Natalia still lives today. Her parents sent her there. Later, she showed abilities in exact sciences. When her knowledge in humanities became insufficient, Natalia enrolled in a distant republican physics and mathematics school. Sports came a bit later. It all started with a hobby. Whenever she had free time, the future champion would go to the shooting range on Oktyabrskaya Street, well-known at the time. Her first successes were noticed, and she was offered to seriously pursue shooting. She continued her training at the Spartak Stadium in the Central City District under the guidance of coach Nikolay Mikhailovich Vinogradov, which did not hinder her plans. The first achievements in shooting came quickly, proving that all her efforts were not in vain. In 1989, Natalia became the regional champion among athletes and earned the title of Candidate Master of Sports. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, when chaos and confusion reigned, Natalia had to forget about sports for a while. She could not have imagined then that a new stage of her success would continue in disabled sports.
The question arises when talking to Natalia: "Why shooting? It is not typically considered a feminine sport." The answer came naturally during the conversation. Accuracy, perseverance, and interest are the pillars on which her shooting success is built.
Natalia was initially drawn to a career in the internal affairs agencies. She idolized female police officers, considering them embodiments of justice and tranquility. It was more than just a profession for her, and she was genuinely happy dedicating herself to her work. Extreme hobby - parachute jumping - provided not only an adrenaline rush but also in a certain sense, it was the purpose of life.
But fate had other plans for her career. Due to her rank as a senior lieutenant of the police, she had to retire and receive a disability pension. Natalia dislikes talking about it. Like all the other unpleasant events that significantly changed her life. But in reality, there is no way to avoid these stories. The harsh reality is that she managed to apprehend a criminal at the cost of her career and her own health. She had to sacrifice her career and her own health. It was a very challenging period in her life. Loneliness cannot be hidden. When your phone remains silent, and your circle of friends and acquaintances drastically decreases, it feels like you are alone in the whole world.
Something had to be done. Since lying in bed and suffering is not in her nature, a sporting simulator became the solution. Daily training sessions could restore her belief in a speedy recovery. Determination is not something she lacks. Natalia's father, Anatoly Petrovich, who used to work at the central plant, turned to the People's Deputy Alexander Vilkul for help and found understanding and support. Thanks to this, a miracle happened. After long and intense training sessions that lasted more than six months, 10-12 hours a day, she achieved the impossible - she overcame her illness and regained the ability to move independently. In a way, it was a victory over herself. Her first real victory after those tragic events.
"I wanted to prove to everyone who turned away from me that I am still capable of something," confesses the athlete. "I hold no grudges against anyone, although my circle of friends has significantly diminished."
As a result of her achievements, Natalia was able to regain her ability to walk and compete in shooting. She won the Ukrainian Championship and the Ukrainian Cup, proving that the support she received was not in vain. One of her notable achievements was the second place in Croatia at the shooting tournament among disabled athletes. Furthermore, she emerged as the champion in Germany, where she won the European title in the mixed event, which is even more valuable as she outperformed experienced men. In the final, there were three men - a German, a Polish, a Czech, and Natalia...
People's Deputy Alexander Vilkul also made an invaluable gift to the athlete - a shooting simulator called "Skat" with a laptop that allows her to train at home. According to Natalia, such a gesture is priceless in preparation for upcoming competitions. Currently, Mudrik trains at the Meteor shooting club in Dnipro, which is the base for disabled shooting sports.
Natalia is almost never satisfied with her results, believing that it helps her not to lower the bar. Any victory must be earned from scratch, forgetting about previous successes. If she becomes complacent, it means saying goodbye to sports. She cannot allow herself that.
One wall in Natalia's apartment is completely covered with diplomas, certificates, pennants, and medals...
"These are from a healthy life," Natalia points to the top rows. "And these are from the present. Here is the crystal medal from the Open European Championship in shooting in Germany. 280 athletes from 45 countries gathered in Zuhl, Germany. I won the gold medal in the falling target event. In this event, both men and women compete together. There were 43 athletes competing for the top places, with the majority being men."
In the final, it was me and three men - a German, a Pole, and a Czech. They saw me - small and slim - and relaxed, losing their vigilance. But the spectators in the stands supported me. They showed with signs that their hearts were with me. It was so heartwarming! During the award ceremony, there was a mix-up, and they wanted to give me the "silver" medal. Of course, I protested. They quickly corrected the mistake. The coach of the Venezuela national team gave me a soft toy - a shooter rabbit - as a souvenir. Look, he even has a shooter's "monocle" and a rifle. I named the rabbit Zuhl, and I stitched his name on his shirt. By the way, among athletes, there is a tradition of exchanging shirts. Some athletes approached me with this offer. But I told them that my coach would do hara-kiri because I have only one national team shirt," says Natalia.
When asked how long she has been doing shooting, Natalia replies, "I have been shooting for a long time, as long as I can remember. In Soviet times, there were many shooting ranges. My dad would bring a box, and I would climb on it and shoot. A shot cost three kopecks back then. I collected a whole box of various pennants and badges like "Accurate Shooter" and "Young Sniper." In the city shooting range, there was a man named Uncle Zhora, and I asked him to hang real targets for me so that I could count the points. He then advised me to contact the Spartak sports club. I was 16 years old at the time."
In Kryvyi Rih, at that time, there were criminal gangs who preyed on runners. I asked my older brother to show me a couple of self-defense techniques. He would say, 'The first technique is to run, the second is to scream!' So, in addition to shooting, I started practicing karate. By the way, before the injury, I could walk on broken glass. I remember once my mom and I went to the park and broke some bottles there. We collected them in a bag so that I could practice at home. There was an old lady standing nearby, begging us not to break them and offering to take them.
And how did you end up in the police?
"After technical school, I started working as an electrician at the security control panel for the police. At the same time, I competed for the district team in shooting competitions. Later, I was offered a position as a police officer. Of course, I agreed. It was exciting - investigations, apprehending criminals... I went on one shift in the morning, and they called me, asking me to bring some shabbier clothes, gloves, and rubber boots. We were going to search for a dead body. My mom answered the phone and thought it was me. 'Natalia,' she heard. 'Take some shabbier clothes, gloves, and rubber boots. We will be searching for a dead body.' My mom was in shock. We went to look for the body in the evening. Winter. It was cold. We have ponds here. It was already dark, and I couldn't see anything. I saw someone struggling in the water. I thought it was a dog. But I can't swim. I lay on the ice and crawled towards it. There was a crowd of spectators on the shore, giving advice. I crawled to the hole, and there I saw a little boy, completely blue. The only thought was, 'I need to grab him by the collar, otherwise drowning people can drag you underwater.' Where did I find the strength? The collar was wet and slippery, but I still managed to pull him out. He was a little boy, blue, his teeth chattering. He said, 'Thank you, aunty.' I took off his clothes, dried him, and, as best I could, wrung out his jacket. Friends took him back to his parents. As soon as I got home, I jumped into a hot bath. My jeans were frozen to my body... The next day, I had a fever, but I still had to go to work.
A few days later, the boy's father came with his son to thank me. The father, who had many children, tried to give me ten hryvnias as a sign of gratitude. The teenagers who saw me save the child initially claimed that they rescued him. One of them eventually felt guilty and told the truth. I was awarded the Honorary Sign of the Main Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations 'For Saving Drowning People.'
"And when I ended up in the hospital, my friends were lost themselves. Even the closest person betrayed me."
"I don't even want to remember that. It was the most unfortunate day of my life. It was winter. We were detaining a criminal. I caught up with him first, but on that day, fate turned against me."
