Breaking Boundaries: Meet Tatsiana, Olympic Athlete and STEPNer
For the STEPN Breaking Boundaries series we are interviewing inspirational figures within the Web3 and Fitness space. Today, we have with us Tatsiana, a proud STEPN ambassador who also just happened to compete in the Olympics!
Introduction
Interviewer: Hi Tatsiana! So glad you could spare some time to do this interview with us today. Such an honour to have an Olympian in our midst.
Tatsiana: My pleasure!
Alright then, let’s jump right in! Tell the readers a bit about yourself, and your journey to becoming an international athlete?
Tatsiana: I was born in a beautiful country with a fascinating culture and history — Belarus. My parents got me involved in sports from a very young age. I have always loved to challenge myself — to compete and be a leader. It instilled in me a passion and desire to achieve more. Now, I am an international class athlete in speed skating, which has been a large part of my life for more than 20 years. My career choice has allowed me to travel all over the world, which I am deeply grateful for!
I love animals, especially cats. I have a Bengal cat whom I adore very much. I am also into drawing and photography, and in my spare time, I like reading books on psychology and sports literature.
Interviewer: Wow, thank you so much for that. That was a really heartfelt introduction. So after you started out, did you always aim to compete in the Olympics?
Tatsiana: For every professional athlete, the Olympic games are the pinnacle of our career. I did not realise it right away, but as time passed and I matured, I began to understand that as a professional athlete, the end goal would always be the Olympics. After this realisation, I began to train even harder to achieve this goal. Upon actually receiving the honour to participate in the Olympics, I realised my entire career and dedication was all worth it — it was the highest privilege to be chosen.
Interviewer: Thank you for all this Tatsiana. To wrap up this segment, what advice would you have for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Tatsiana: To be honest, you have to step into it knowing fully the commitment and responsibility required, otherwise you are better off doing something else. But I have this to say — the road is fascinating, beautiful and totally worth it. Yes, it takes a toll on you and you will want to quit many times. However, sports brings to the table something you cannot find anywhere else. It trains your character, and the taste of victory is second to none. If you consider becoming a professional athlete, you need to understand your goal and properly plan it out.
Web3 and STEPN
Interviewer: That’s amazing, thank you once again. Now let’s move on to Web3. How did you get started here?
Tatsiana: My husband introduced me to Web3. For the last two years we have been researching everything about crypto. He himself delved into trading, but it was too complicated for me. Therefore, I chose to look for simpler ways to explore this new digital space. I started with studying games, joining Discord channels etc.
One day, while I was sharing my crypto adventures with my husband, he told me there was this game called STEPN, where you could run and earn rewards. Initially, I was sceptical, but after his explanation to me, I eventually jumped aboard, and that’s how my story began.
Interviewer: That’s really cool! So now that you are a STEPN regular, what is your routine like?
Tatsiana: I wouldn’t call STEPN a routine. This is now a part of my life with my running family, where we share similar views, the same goals and everyone understands and supports each other. The time I have between workouts I use for STEPN. Of course, my day is busy with family, coaching and training, but STEPN fits well into my schedule. And of course, I use it as a workout or warm-up before the main workout.
Interviewer: Do you have a funny/unique story to share about your STEPN experience?
Tatsiana: Running in the rain with an umbrella just for STEPN! Haha
Interviewer: As someone who trains so much, how do you incorporate STEPN into your training?
Tatsiana: STEPN usually serves as my warm-up before my main training.
Interviewer: Do you see STEPN becoming widely adopted amongst non-crypto natives in the future?
Tatsiana: I think initially, those who joined STEPN at the beginning were mainly crypto natives. But now, I see STEPN gaining traction as not just a crypto game, but a running app. Now that the team is doing so much to continue developing the STEPN ecosystem, I strongly believe that the STEPN will continue attracting many users who are looking for a gamified running experience. As the trend of healthy lifestyles continues to gain popularity, I feel STEPN is well positioned to take these people in.
Interviewer: If someone is looking to join the STEPN community now, what would your advice to them be?
Tatsiana: First of all — choose the right sneaker! After the first few minutes, you will realise how intuitive and user-friendly the STEPN app is. Results are evident in the first few days, not even weeks! You will find yourself wanting to go out and get active.
Ambassadorship
Interviewer: Now let’s move on to your role as an ambassador. What first inspired you to join the Ambassador Team?
Tatsiana: Becoming an ambassador was motivated by my desire to help spread the word about STEPN so that as many people as possible would be able to better their lives. As mentioned earlier, I realised the potential the STEPN app had, and sought to join the team. I started off with a small role in Discord, helping newcomers with any queries they had.
I soon found out that STEPN was recruiting ambassadors and immediately submitted my application. I eventually forgot about it, but soon I received an email, inviting me for an interview. I was ecstatic! I started preparing for my interview days in advance. When the time came, I was extremely nervous and excited at the same time. My hands were shaking and my heart was pounding.
However, the minute I saw Tyson’s smile, all my anxiety faded away, and I was at ease. The interview went smoothly. Days later, I received a letter stating that I was now an associate ambassador for STEPNxStrava! I was elated!
Interviewer: How has the journey been so far? Being on the ground should expose you to a lot of people and interactions, has that done anything for you?
Tatsiana: The team of ambassadors is incredible! I found not only like-minded people, but also friends whom I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet without STEPN. While physically far, they have become very close to me in spirit. The huge support from the ambassador team and their desire to help is inspiring to say the least. Everyone has their own niche and compliments the whole team so well.
It has been a thorough joy interacting with my community as an ambassador. Although I haven’t been to many physical events yet, I hope to participate in one soon!
Interviewer: It is really truly inspiring to see your experience within the STEPN community. To end this final segment off, what would you have to say to someone considering the ambassador role?
Tatsiana: A STEPN ambassador is someone who can engage with the community and motivate them. Be yourself, be honest, believe in what you are doing, and then you will succeed.
Interviewer: Thank you for joining us today Tatsiana, it was a pleasure to hear more about your journey to becoming an Olympic athlete. We wish you the best for your future endeavours.
How to become a STEPN Ambassador
To join the global community of 80+ STEPN Ambassadors, please fill in the form here. We are actively hiring for Ambassadors as we continue to expand the Find Satoshi Lab (FSL) ecosystem with new product offerings that bring value to GMT and the STEPN community.
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