Russian Wheelchair Rugby Player Breaking Barries

Natalia’s parents’ passion for sports tourism inspired her to spend much of her childhood outdoors in her home country of Russia. Those same outdoor activities made her a sport-addicted person, leading her to become experienced in snowboarding, cross-country skiing, hiking, and orienteering. Her upbringing also influenced her career trajectory, inspiring her to enroll at Saint-Petersburg State University with a major in geography and geoecology in 2006. After Natalia graduated, she got a job as a hydrogeologist.

When Natalia sustained a spinal cord injury in 2013, doing field investigations became impossible, restricting her work to the office. While it altered her work participation, her injury furthered her development as an athlete; she became a member of the Russian orienteering national team in 2019, and in 2020 began to play wheelchair rugby. Two years ago, she made the difficult decision to change the focus of her work activities, quitting her job at the hydrogeological company to begin developing adaptive sports projects in her city. Currently, she has organized her life to do sports and the work she loves simultaneously.

Natalia’s goal is to provide people with disabilities with access to participation in adaptive sports and improve the quality of their life, help them develop independence, and break the stereotypes and stigma associated with disability.