Victory over yourself: the story of bobsledder Irina Skvortsova. Victory over yourself: the story of bobsledder Irina Skvortsova What is Irina Skvortsova doing now?

Tragedy at the European Bobsleigh Cup - . Four athletes were injured. The condition of 20-year-old Irina Skvortsova is extremely serious. , but doctors say that the girl’s path to sports is closed forever. The criminal police have already begun an investigation. What led to the emergency - a fatal coincidence or someone's mistake?

Slowly sliding towards the finish line in an inverted sled, Nadezhda Filina and Irina Skvortsova did not see and, most likely, did not hear that the bob of Evgeniy Pashkov and Andrey Matyushko was catching up with them from behind, and if they heard it, they could not do anything upside down in the icy chute. It was like a projectile in the back - 350 kilograms of weight at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour. 20-year-old Skvortsova, number two in the women's team, took the blow.

“We fell at the exit from the ring,” says Nadezhda Filina, a member of the Russian junior bobsled team. “And on the right side we almost reached the finish line. The bob hasn’t stopped yet, and after the wall the guys who rode from above crash into us.”

Against the background of what happened to Irina, the bruises and abrasions of the others do not count; the main thing is the psychological trauma. After the collision, the sled was dragged another 50 meters.

“The most important thing now is that a young girl (21 years old) is in a very serious condition in the hospital, so everyone here is very worried as a human being,” says Vladimir Lyubovitsky, head coach of the Russian bobsleigh and skeleton team.

Why two crews were on the track at the same time is the question. There are several starting positions in Königssee, but at a certain point the chutes combine into one. The men skated from the top point. Women - with the one that is lower.

“The Russians crashed because the women’s team started at a red light,” Bild magazine quotes the judges’ opinion. This is true, but not the whole truth. The traffic light signal is duplicated by a voice command. And most importantly - the go-ahead from the judge. For Pashkov and Matyushko the light was green, for Filina and Skvortsova it was red. Both judges took the “start” command received from the control room personally, but at the top it was correct, and at the bottom it was wrong.

“We were launched from the women’s start in the first attempt at a red light,” continues Nadezhda Filina. “We called the bobsled start - they gave the go-ahead to start, and we went. And it turned out that at that moment the bobsled start gave the green light, and the guys went from above."

At a minimum, no bobsledder will run a red light for fear of disqualification. Judges ignore this sporting truth for obvious reasons. Michael Scherf is a lawyer, he defends the interests of injured athletes and knows how much health costs.

“The amount of compensation depends on the severity of the injury and can range from 20 to 50 thousand euros or even more if the person is unable to play sports or becomes disabled,” explains Michael. “This could be the responsibility of the track owner or the judge if he is found guilty in a criminal case."

Every athlete should have insurance, and if it is, the amount of compensation can increase by an order of magnitude. But insurers do not like to lose money and will try to recover it from the perpetrators.

Athletes and judges have been interrogated for the second day by investigators from the police and prosecutor's office. There are no seat belts or airbags in the bobsled, and the speed is the same as on a motorway, so any mistake here can cost your life. And although doctors are optimistic in their forecasts regarding Irina Skvortsova, it is obvious that after such injuries she will no longer return to sports.

Russian athlete, member of the Russian bobsleigh team.

She has been actively involved in sports since school; as a member of the Moscow athletics team, she took part in the summer sports competition for Russian students.

He has been involved in bobsleigh professionally since 2008.

Since 2009, Irina Skvortsova has been a member of the Russian national team in this sport (two-man crews).

On November 23, 2009, during training runs on the luge and bobsleigh track in Königssee (Germany), an incident occurred - the judge started the race of the women's double team Nadezhda Filina and Irina Skvortsova at a red light at the start, this led to a collision between the Russian men's and women's double team crews. Evgeniy Pashkov and Andrey Matyushko crashed into the bob of Filina and Skvortsova. As a result of the collision, Irina Skvortsova received severe injuries. The athlete was urgently taken to a local hospital and then to the university clinic in Munich. Irina stayed there for four months and underwent a number of complex operations, including on her most damaged right leg.

To provide assistance in the treatment and subsequent rehabilitation of the athlete, a fundraiser was organized; in 3 months, more than 500 thousand rubles were received into a specially opened account.

On March 27, 2010, Irina Skvortsova was discharged from the clinic in Munich. For further treatment, she was transferred to a rehabilitation center in Chiemsee (Germany). Upon discharge from the clinic, Irina’s attending surgeon admitted to her that she was the one case out of a hundred when people survive with such injuries.

Domestic bobsledder Irina Skvortsova is accustomed to steadfastly enduring all the difficulties that she encountered along her life’s path and overcoming them. Due to a judicial error, which resulted in a real tragedy, the girl had to leave the sport with that full life and begin to fight for her own life. She survived and endured this most difficult period of her life with dignity.

Start of a sports career

Skvortsova Irina Olegovna was born on July 17, 1988 in the most ordinary Moscow family. From an early age she began to devote herself to sports. Initially, Irina was actively involved in and achieved success in sprint running, and became a member of the Moscow athletics team. As part of it, she participated in the summer sports competition in the 200-meter race. Then for the first time Irina truly felt a sense of excitement and pride, victory. These feelings predetermined that she would devote her life to sports.

Study and sports

During her childhood and adolescence, Irina easily combined numerous training sessions and schooling. Sometimes, of course, due to lack of time, she had to be absent from certain lessons, but thanks to her organization, she easily filled in the gaps in knowledge. After graduating from school, the athlete successfully passed the exams and entered the Russian State University of Physical Culture.

During her studies, Irina decided to retire from athletics (with the rank of Master of Sports) and take up another sport - bobsleigh. Gradually, studying at the university became a secondary matter, and after receiving a severe injury, the athlete completely ceased to be interested in her. Subsequently, Irina Skvortsova passed the exams, defended her thesis and graduated from university in her chosen field.

Bobsleigh career

Despite the lack of big victories in athletics, this determined girl decided to participate in the new sports qualifying stage, organized by representatives of the Moscow experimental team called “Sochi-2014”. Irina Skvortsova, an athlete, was herself surprised that she successfully passed the selection. A year later, she was included in the main team of this team, where she was assigned the role of an accelerator. According to Irina herself, already during her first training sessions she fell in love with the speed and drive of this sport. She was attracted by sharp descents, fascinated by the curving track, the feeling as if you were flying. The tragic accident, which will be discussed later, did not have any effect on Irina’s feelings for this sport. After long-term treatment and getting back on her feet, Irina did not give up bobsleigh and became interested in other types of extreme sports. She also said that she was attracted to alpine skiing, figure skating and even boxing. However, the severe trauma she suffered not so long ago allows her to admire this not as an active participant, but as an outside spectator. Irina is a master of sports in bobsleigh.

Terrible accident

Despite the dedication that Irina demonstrated during training sessions, she was not destined to become an outstanding bobsledder. The reason for this was a tragic combination of circumstances, because of which Irina Skvortsova almost passed away. The accident happened in November 2009 on the German track in Königssee, where training races of the team, of which Skvortsova was a member, were planned. According to the athlete herself, the training took place as usual, her crew was at the start line awaiting the judge’s “go-ahead.” After receiving a signal from him, the bean in which Irina was located started. A gross violation committed by the judge led to the fact that a male crew entered the track along with Irina’s bean, as a result of which two shells collided. The circumstances were such that, apart from Skvortsova herself, who received numerous fractures and cuts, as well as a serious injury to her right leg, none of the other athletes were seriously injured.

Recovery period

After the incident, bobsledder Irina Skvortsova was taken to a local hospital, and then transported to a clinic in Munich, located at the university. As the girl herself says, transporting her to Russia, based on her condition, was unsafe for her. The athlete's life was under threat. Irina’s stay in the Munich clinic lasted about four months, during which time the injured Irina underwent more than fifty operations, most of them were aimed at restoring her injured leg. The funds allocated for her treatment were collected through donations from those who were not indifferent to the grief that happened to the athlete. Over the course of 3 months, an amount of over half a million rubles has accumulated in a special open account. The government of the Russian Federation also provided financial assistance to the injured bobsledder.

Full rehabilitation period

In the spring of 2010, the Russian athlete was redirected to a local rehabilitation center. According to the medical workers themselves, they were delighted with the girl’s spirit and patience. They confirmed the uniqueness of the case, because usually such injuries are accompanied not only by a long physical recovery, but also by a moral one. For this reason, Irina Skvortsova left bobsleigh and also completely ended her career as an athlete. However, contrary to the not so rosy predictions of the doctors, the girl managed to get back on her feet. In the early autumn of 2010, she finally returned to Russia, and almost immediately she was sent to the Federal Medical and Biophysical Center named after. Burnazyan. In it, she carried out the rehabilitation procedures that doctors recommended to her, daily overcoming unbearable physical pain. In small steps she was approaching victory, personal victory. Progress in restoration appeared very soon. Initially, she moved in a wheelchair, but soon she bought crutches and began to move with their help. After a while, she no longer needed them.

Lengthy trial

After a tragedy occurred that nearly claimed the life of a young athlete, a complex and protracted legal process ensued. The accused was the referee Peter Hell, who made a gross miscalculation. The end of the process came in November 2013, it lasted more than four years. Based on lengthy investigations, the court decided to find the arbitrator guilty and imposed a fine of 650 thousand euros as compensation to Skvortsova. However, Irina, together with her lawyer, insisted on a larger amount, amounting to 3 million 600 thousand euros. The money received in the form of compensation also went towards medical and rehabilitation measures. But still, Irina was satisfied with this outcome of the trial, because the main thing was that she was able to get back on her feet. However, the girl was left with a bitter taste from the fact that Peter Hell never realized the consequences of his negligence, did not apologize to her personally, and did not express words of condolences.

Secular and television activities

Despite all the difficulties and trials that befell this young girl, Irina Skvortsova did not speak badly about life, she did not lose her former optimism. After a long rehabilitation process, the athlete began to often receive invitations to various information publications. Later, Irina Skvortsova was invited to work on television. The first place of work in the new field was the morning show “Army Store” aired on Channel One. Soon she received an invitation from another federal television channel, Rossiya 1. Today, Irina holds the position of editor on this channel and in the future she plans to become a news anchor. According to the representatives of the television channel themselves, very soon Irina Skvortsova will be a co-host of commentator Viktor Gusev in charge of the news channel. With him, the girl twice hosted the annual awards ceremony for sports journalists.

She was one of the first athletes to carry the torch in the Olympic torch relay at the Games in Sochi.

Meeting with the Russian President

Regardless of the fact that bobsledder Irina Skvortsova is no longer an athlete, she does not lose contact with the world of sports. At the end of winter 2011, she came to Königssee, a place that radically changed her life, to support the Russian bobsled team at the world championship. By that time, the route where the tragedy occurred had already been reconstructed.

How has the life of bobsledder Irina Skvortsova changed? In 2014, at the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in Sochi, she was in the VIP box next to the country's President Vladimir Putin. This was a real surprise, because initially she was invited to a reception with the Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko, from where she proceeded to the Fisht stadium, and did not fully believe that the long-empty seat next to her was reserved for the President of Russia. A few minutes before the start of the ceremony, Vladimir Putin actually appeared, he asked Irina about her well-being, about her current activity, and wished her success in the present and future.

One can be classified as one of those people who are commonly referred to as being born with a shirt on. In her case, however, in a bobsled overall. On November 23, 2009, during training races on double bobs in Königssee, the girl had a terrible accident. Her carriage overturned on the highway, and before she and Nadezhda Filina had time to leave the car, another bean crashed into them, which the German referee mistakenly released.

Skvortsova received severe injuries to her legs and pelvis. The doctors seriously feared for her life, but they managed not only to save the girl, but also to avoid amputation of her limbs, and later even put her back on her feet.

Now 27-year-old Irina lives life to the fullest - she has managed to try herself as a presenter on television, is involved in social activities, attended the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Sochi and is thinking about skydiving. She has to walk on crutches, but sometimes she can put them aside. The girl even admitted that she sometimes forgets them at home.

The former athlete agreed to the interview immediately. Her only condition was to meet her where she could park: the car had become an integral part of life for the girl. A cafe on the outskirts of Moscow turned out to be a suitable place.

- What are you doing now? The New Year's bustle is already hovering around.
— Now I’m preparing for the New Year. For the last two years I have been celebrating it in Germany, it has already become a tradition. I'm about to have another operation. This year there was a lot of snow there, not like in Moscow, although before there was weather like we have now.

— Do your family and friends ask you to bring something? For example, local delicacies...
“They ask me to do something at my own discretion, but it’s no longer easy for me to choose like that.” Everything in Munich is already so familiar to me, all the local wonders have become something ordinary for me.

— What is your main line of work now? You are a member. Can you use it to change someone’s life for the better?
“It’s not really a job, it’s more of a social burden.” I cannot help someone globally, but I manage to do it in a targeted manner.

- For example?
— We recently visited the “Victory Without Borders” forum in Tyumen. There they organized a master class for disabled orphans - they introduced them to various sports, brought gifts, and talked. We also invited potential parents to our meeting who could adopt someone. We managed to ensure that eight children found a foster family at once.

— Do you feel some social responsibility to yourself that you can help others?
“It’s a normal human trait to help others in any way you can.” This is not something extraordinary, I perceive it as a common thing.

— You could be called a role model.
- Am I a role model? Come on. You can find many other people who are more worthy of such a title.

And they, by the way, experienced something more terrible than me, and some have to struggle with circumstances from birth. I don’t ride in a wheelchair, but there are so many wheelchair users who lead an active lifestyle. Look at the Paralympians who go to competitions and win medals.

— Many people remember the telethon, which raised money both for their treatment and to help others. I wanted to do the same thing, whose freestyle career was cut short due to a severe back injury. Would this be interesting to you?
- If someone came to me with such a proposal, then why not? But I myself did not approach anyone with such an initiative.

— Is your journalistic career still ongoing?
“I don’t even know who signed me up to be a journalist... I was trained as a sports news presenter.” This is not journalism. For me it was like a passion, a hobby. Many people call me a journalist, but this is not so.

I just don't like sitting in one place. I always want something new, some, maybe not challenges, but something unusual for myself. When you do one thing for a long time, it gets boring, but I’m ready to do what I love whenever I find it.

Now I spend a lot of time with friends, I try not to lose contact. Of course, I know everyone in bobsleigh and skeleton.

— Do you continue to monitor your teammates and their results?
— I can’t say that I follow sports at all. If I accidentally turn on the TV, I’ll watch something with pleasure. But I won’t specifically search on the Internet to find out who ran or how someone ran. From Facebook I learn something from the world of bobsleigh and skeleton. But I’m definitely going to the World Championships in 2017, it will be held in Sochi. I want to chat with the guys.

— Now, if you follow bobsleigh, the picture is bleak...
“Zubkov left, but in past years everything depended on him. Now there are changes. Many guys who accelerate become pilots and perform. You don’t become a pilot right away, you need to ride for a year or two. You won't be able to shoot in the first season. I hope they will test it out, everything will be fine, we will have new pilots with teams.

— Which famous athletes do you keep in touch with?
— At the “hello-bye” level, I know almost everyone. I like to communicate with Andrei Silnov, Dmitry Sautin, I know a lot of wrestlers. I meet canoeist Sergei Ulegin every year - he lives in Saratov, and my grandmother lives there, 160 km from the city. So I will definitely cross paths with him.

— You started out as an athlete. How did you transition into hectic bobsleigh? For what? High speeds?
— Rather, in order to realize one’s potential in sports, since it was difficult to achieve results in athletics, and besides, an injury got in the way. I was invited to bobsleigh twice, but I refused, and the third time I came myself. This choice was also influenced by the desire to compete at the Olympics, and at home at that.

— You said that you would like to completely get rid of crutches. Is this goal achievable?
“You won’t be able to get rid of it completely, never in your life.” But for short distances I walk, say, around the apartment. When I visit friends at the dacha, I can stay somewhere without crutches for a couple of days. I'll leave them somewhere in the corridor, and only if my leg really hurts, I use them. But I just don’t abuse it, because the load is still greater on the right leg, and on the left it doubles. Once again I wouldn’t want to make things worse.

— You have shown more than once that it is possible to achieve something impossible. This is not the case?
“It’s just that if you give up crutches, the load will be very strong.” Sometimes I forget them at home, and then I have to reduce the distance traveled as much as possible. By the end of the day, my legs hurt, very much. Crutches don’t bother me, sometimes they even help me visually.

— Does Moscow seem suitable for people with disabilities?
- No. Not completely. If I were riding in a wheelchair, I wouldn’t be able to go to all the shops, not all the establishments, and I wouldn’t always be able to drive down the street.

Yes, in some places everything has been done, but in others it hasn’t. The situation has improved in recent years, but not everywhere. Let’s say I obviously wouldn’t go down the same metro. Some stations are new - they are adapted, but old ones are not.

— In Sochi, for the Olympics, they had to create a comfortable environment for movement. Have you ever thought about moving there and somewhere else where there are conditions?
— No, I’m used to Moscow. Many people ask me why I didn’t go abroad or why I don’t go to Germany. But I do not want. Everything suits me: home, family. Everyone here knows me. I don’t want to start from scratch somewhere in a new place. I'm happy with everything here. Yes, there are a lot of disadvantages here. But at least I know about them. I don’t want to change location and learn about these disadvantages from scratch.

— You already managed to skate once. How did this happen?
- It happened, it happened by accident. I went to a friend’s birthday party at the dacha and forgot her bag of things, and she took it with her to the skating rink, and it was only possible to take it back there. So she offered me a ride at the same time. I say: “Are you kidding me, do you even have a picture?” At first I refused, but then I agreed, called her and asked if she had the right size of skates.

I didn’t know what would come of it, how I would skate, but I arrived, changed clothes, and it began... Naturally, I couldn’t skate by myself, only along the side to hold on with my hands. The guys drove me around in circles. I can still stand on my own, but I can’t push off.

-What were the sensations?
— On the one hand, it was cool, I liked it, especially when I fell ( laughs). But everything was fine. On the other hand, it’s a shame, because I was skating very well before the accident. At school I spent every weekend skating in the park, all winter and even autumn. After the accident, I can no longer do many hobbies that I loved.

—Can you decide to jump with a parachute now?
“I don’t forget about this dream of mine.” Someday this moment will come. You need to try it once. I just want to jump. It’s unlikely that I’ll do one jump after another after this.

— What is your relationship with the German doctors who take care of you?
— I have a very good relationship with my doctor Hans-Günter Mahens. He came to Moscow at the end of September, wrote to me, and we met. He looked at me, we discussed what we would do in the next operation. The clinic sent me an invitation, issued a visa, and after the New Year I am leaving for surgery. Many people already recognize me; I come to the operating room as if it were my home. There already: “Oh, hello, long time no see,” and I: “Hello.” I can’t shut my mouth until the sleeping pills take effect ( laughs).

— Have you already learned German?
- No, I understand them, but I don’t speak.

— Once you also said that you got rid of mirrors in the house so as not to see the consequences of the injury.
“I didn’t get rid of them, I just don’t want there to be too many of them.” It is only in the bathroom. I'll still think about whether to hang a mirror in the room. When you get dressed, you need to look at how the clothes fit, whether everything is good. Yes, I think I’ll definitely hang it up, but not in a way that catches your eye.

— Six years have passed since the accident. Don't you think it has become something distant?
- No, it's not far away. Six years ago, but it feels like it was yesterday. It’s like I blinked and six years have already passed.

— Would you like to forget this somehow?
- You will never forget this. Since I haven't forgotten. Hardly. In any case, look in the mirror, you won’t forget.

— Are you an optimist in life, do you see anything good?
- Realist. Walking around with rose-colored glasses all the time is harmful. Then it will be more painful to remove. It’s still better to wear transparent ones. Or without them.

— What do you think about the latest scandals in athletics?
“I don’t want to talk about this.” I see no point in talking about doping.

— This problem concerns not only doping. Now it is being discussed whether, for example, it is possible for track and field athletes to compete in Rio under the Olympic flag instead of the Russian one...
“I’ve never had this question before, so I don’t know what to say.” If someone decides to do this, then I will not condemn them.

- Let's move on to more pleasant topics. What are your hobbies and how do you brighten up your everyday life?
— Whenever, always according to my mood. Sometimes I can lie on the sofa at home, I don’t want to do anything. While I have time, I go to see friends. I'll be leaving for a long time soon, so I have to give everyone at least a few hours. I can take a walk around Moscow at night, with pleasure. I don’t have any permanent hobbies. In Germany, for example, in my free time I read books. I'm already tired of the Internet, I'm tired of television, I don't want to do anything but read. At one time, I was given a painting with numbers, for those who don’t know how to draw, but really want to. I liked this one, so I colored it. It is very interesting. When I return from Germany, I will buy myself another one.

- It's like cross-stitching.
- No, I don’t want to cross-stitch. This calms some people, but it irritates me. There are enough irritations in life as it is ( laughs). Some people collect things, but I... collect operations. Alas, such a constant hobby exists

RIA News

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— What was the last thing you read?
- Now I'm on Johnny D. Briana Barrow, last time in Germany I managed to read two thirds. And what was the last thing... Oh, it happens to me that I closed the last page, and the title and the author were forgotten, I only remember the plot. For example, one book is about a girl athlete who became disabled. And the other is about a girl who knew that she had an incurable disease and escaped from a rehabilitation center; she wanted to see how other people lived. Ah, I remembered something from the last one - “They promised me you.” Great too. There are no names in this book, there are images - Bad Weather, Waterfall. A very interesting book that will make you cry and think.

I also decided to master the classics - for example, I wasn’t going to watch “The Great Gatsby” until I read it. There was also Bulgakov, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”... “Moscow - Petushki” - I went through that. The brain explosion was, of course, colossal. I read and didn’t understand what I was doing ( laughs).

- How did you find her? A special piece...
— A friend recommended it. A lot of people really like this book and are crazy about it. Maybe I just read it at the wrong time. First we needed something simpler, and then the classics. Otherwise, it’s like a bomb exploding in your head.

—Have you thought about taking up the pen yourself?
- Me not. Some are given this, others are not.

— I would like to ask the last question, but I know that you are already tired of answering it.
— What was it like at the Olympics?

RIA News

— Yes, and your impression of the opening ceremony, which you watched together with Vladimir Putin.
“I was more afraid of the cameras than the president.” I was afraid of cameras. I'm not used to them. Still, although he is a strong personality, he is a person, made of flesh and blood, like all of us. For some, famous personalities cause a stupor when they meet, but I react calmly.

At that moment I was worried about the cameras. Not only was it broadcast to Russia, but to the whole world. When I went to Germany, the doctors all recognized me. No one missed the opportunity to come up and also inquire.

— Did you communicate somehow?
- Only short dialogues. Basically, what happens directly at the Olympics, at the opening.

— How did you evaluate the Games themselves?
- Well what can I say. First place in the medal standings is super. The guys are great.

— Do you think everything will happen again in two years?
- It will be a little difficult. But I hope that ours will still be in the top three. There will never be such a failure as in Vancouver.

— What do you expect from the Olympics in Rio?
— At the moment, whether track and field athletes will be allowed in or not. If they don’t allow it, then I won’t say that I’m expecting much. In athletics there are a lot of medals, as a rule. Here is wrestling and athletics. Yes, there is synchronized swimming and gymnastics, but they are not the only ones that determine a country’s place in the medal standings.

After the interview, I asked what the plans would be for that day. Irina said that she was going to attend the hockey match between CSKA and Ak Bars.

— Do you root for someone in sports?— I couldn’t help but ask the last question.
- Oh, I'm not a fan. I only worry when Russian teams perform. I’m probably unhappy about this: every time I come to the arena to support, our team loses. Except that everything changed at the Channel One Cup: I was at the game with Finland, and Russia won, but I didn’t watch the match with the Czech Republic, and immediately lost. Now I’m going to the match between CSKA and Ak Bars, and I haven’t decided who to root for yet. I will be with a friend who is for the army team, and his uncle - he is for the Kazan people. I think they both won’t want me to root for their favorites ( laughs).

You can get acquainted with other materials, news and statistics on the chronicles, as well as in the groups of the sports department on social networks

Probably everyone knows that professional sports is an activity associated with health risks. But not everyone is aware of how real athletes know how to cope with the difficulties that befall them. Despite the terrible diagnoses, doctors’ forecasts and the disbelief of others. We decided to tell the stories of three Russian athletes - freestyle skier Maria Komissarova, snowboarder Alena Alekhina and bobsledder Irina Skvortsova. How girls started a new life after severe injuries, got back on their feet, surprised doctors, who was there to help them, what former athletes still regret, and what they want to tell others - in the materials of Sportbox.ru.

Story three. The strength is within

In November 2009, in Koenigssee, Germany, during an official training session before the start of the second stage of the World Cup, two beans collided on the track due to a referee’s error. The crew of Evgeny Pashkov and Andrey Matyushko crashed into the overturned car of Nadezhda Filina and Irina Skvortsova. The main blow fell on 21-year-old Skvortsova. The athlete with serious injuries was urgently transported to one of the German clinics. Irina was in a state of artificial coma for a month and a half. Doctors fought for the girl’s life, then to save her right leg, which suffered the most in this accident.

The accident occurred at the end of November, and until April I was confident that I would return to the sport,” Irina admitted. “Everything was planned out in my head: two years to recover, and another two to have time to prepare for the Olympic Games in Sochi. I really wanted to get better quickly and start training. Perhaps this helped me get back on my feet. If the doctors had told me then that bobsleigh was over, it would probably have killed me.

- Did your loved ones know that you would not return to sports?

The doctors talked to my parents and psychologists. Both of them were aware of all the diagnoses; they knew that I, most likely, would not walk at all, let alone engage in bobsleigh. But not everyone told me. And only when I myself realized that my career was over, I began to ask the doctors everything. And then they started talking to me differently.

- At first, the doctors didn’t believe that you would walk at all.

Dr. Mahens, who treated me in Germany, after everything had more or less settled down, admitted that there was only one percent out of a hundred to save my life and save my leg. I think the doctors are still in shock. I come to the clinic, tell them how I feel, and they are surprised - they say, how can this be, Skvortsova’s nerve regeneration continues, this cannot happen at all! After the accident, I developed gangrene, and more than half of the muscles in my right leg had to be cut out. They said that I could only move around in a wheelchair. But by some miracle, nerves began to “sprout” in me. First I felt my thigh, then my lower leg. And then there was hope that I would go again.

Now Irina moves independently with the help of crutches, and sometimes without them. And some time ago I learned to drive a car and received a license.

Who was nearby

Over the past four years, the former athlete has undergone more than fifty operations. All this time she was supported by her parents, brother and close friends.

After the accident, my father returned to my life. After my parents divorced, my father and I didn’t see each other for ten years. But when he found out about what happened to me, he came to the clinic where I was lying. Then I visited several times. Now we continue to communicate, not every day, of course, but we call each other and meet. Friends are very supportive. Sometimes I start whining and I can’t stop. I don't understand how they haven't killed me yet. But I complain mainly about little things: I’m tired of walking somewhere far, or I like the boy, but he doesn’t like me. I try to cope with the deepest and most serious experiences myself. In four years I only fell apart twice. I talked and said everything that had accumulated in my soul. And she spoke in such a way that I simply could not be stopped.

Material support

Peter Hell, who allowed the start of the crew of Pashkov and Matyushko, was found guilty of the accident by the court and fined him about four thousand euros. In addition, we managed to obtain compensation from the German bobsled federation.

The Germans were able to receive compensation only after four years,” Skvortsova explained. “I am now continuing my treatment with this money.” And the first operations and primary rehabilitation were fully paid for by the Russian side. I don’t even know exactly who exactly and how - my brother was in charge of all financial issues. And I was undergoing treatment and tried not to close myself off from everyone. Of course, at first the intense attention that suddenly fell on me was frightening. But I was aware that if I stopped giving interviews and talking to people, everyone would soon happily forget about what happened. I had to learn how to communicate with journalists and speak on camera. True, I tried not to deal with publications that do not have the best reputation, and not to give interviews to the “yellow” media. But one unpleasant incident did happen. The journalist literally twisted my words. Then people called me and asked why I accused them of something in my interview. But I couldn’t understand what they were talking about - I was in intensive care, I didn’t even have the Internet. After that, I didn’t let journalists near me for a very long time.

Russian and foreign medicine

Both European and Russian doctors made efforts to ensure that Irina Skvortsova got back on her feet. Skvortsova received her main treatment in Germany. But now Moscow doctors are helping the girl.

“In the near future, I will need to undergo an examination,” Skvortsova explained. “Nerve regeneration is still continuing for me.” I need to talk to the doctors so that they can prescribe me medications to improve nerve conduction, and then, together with the doctors, draw up a plan for the necessary procedures. I think that I won’t even have to stay in a rehabilitation center - I will be able to come for therapy and then return home. I go to Germany for operations - I don’t think there is any point in looking for a new doctor if there is a good surgeon who has already put the pieces together once. So I continue to be treated by him.

Life without sports

- What do you want to devote your life to now?

That's a very difficult question. I often ask myself this question and so far I can’t find an answer to it. You know, I loved bobsleigh so much... I was passionate about it, I lived for it. Now my life has turned 180 degrees, and I need to look for something new that I can devote all of myself to. I'm interested in a lot of things, I like a lot of things. But this is not the case yet. I really want to do something that would benefit other people. I want to help someone. Because now I understand even more how important it is when someone is willing to lend a hand to you.

-So your active life now is a search for something “yours”?

Apparently this is true. And I can’t sit at home and do nothing. You need to try yourself in different areas - what if you manage to be useful to someone. Now I am studying and engaged in social activities. And also - this is for myself - I’m doing renovations in the apartment. And this kind of endless process, I almost swore that I would never start this business again.

- What specialty are you studying in?

Sports psychologist. I'm interested. In addition, knowledge of psychology always helps not only in work, but also in everyday life. Although, like probably every student, I’m afraid of the word “session.”

- You participate a lot in various events. Are there any that stood out to you in particular?

I really love meeting with children. They ask questions that baffle me. But it's great! They ask about life, about school, and whether I skipped classes. The guys are sincere, you don’t expect any tricks from them, it’s usually easy and interesting to communicate with them. But what is still a disaster for me is public speaking. I'm even afraid to say toasts in the company of friends. And then you have to give a speech in front of strangers. My hands are shaking, my head is starting to hurt - I’m so worried. It’s also good if they warn you in advance that you will need to give a speech. But sometimes they give the floor without warning. But I understand that it is necessary. And I’m coping. I prepare speeches and speak in front of people.

- Doesn’t your experience as a journalist help with public speaking?

When I tried myself as a journalist, I hosted a program about Paralympic athletes - I invited guests to the studio and talked with them. It was more like a normal, “live” conversation. I almost didn’t even use questions prepared in advance - I improvised more. Giving a speech in front of people in public is completely different.

- Do you plan to continue your journalistic “career”?

Filming of the show I hosted has been suspended for now. The bosses say neither “yes” nor “no.” But I don’t sit idly by, I do other things. If they offer something else in the same format, I would probably try it. But I wouldn’t want to be a writing journalist. It’s too difficult to convey in writing the emotions and intonations that arise when you talk to a person.

- Is there anything that you would definitely like to achieve in the future?

Of course, I would like to start a family. I would like to have children. Can I have twins at once? (laughs). Yes, I know, I'm crazy.

The most important

People often ask me where I get my strength. Guys, if I had known, I would have drained this barrel of energy long ago and in one gulp. But I do not know. And it often happens that in the evening I go to bed ready to give up everything and give up. But in the morning I get up again, get dressed and go to do what was planned. There is a saying: “The eyes fear, but the hands do.” This is probably about me. There were many moments during these four years when I fell into panic. The eyes widened in horror, the brain was on the verge of explosion. But I continued to do something, strive for something, with the thought that maybe I could be useful to someone. And with the hope that I will find something “my own” in life. If I completely lost my strength, I reminded myself that there is a word “must”, and I did what was necessary.

- Maybe your sports “hardening” saved you? Athletes know what “should” is and know how to go towards the goal.

It's not about whether you're an athlete or not. Many people who have never played sports, even children, cope with challenges that others would retreat from. It's about some kind of power that is inside you.