"Laziness is the greatest enemy we have": Oleksandr Usyk met with young boxers
On December 28, world boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk met with young students of Kyiv sports clubs to congratulate them on the upcoming holidays and answer children's questions.
The meeting lasted several hours. All this time the boxer talked to the children about laziness and motivation, talked about his father, and fantasized about what he would do after his sports career, Rubryka reports.
Usyk didn't drag his feet during the introductory part, but wished the audience their every day to be happy, and proceeded to answer the questions. Most often, children asked the boxer how he finds motivation and overcomes laziness.
"We have an inner voice that tells us all the time in the morning, 'I want to sleep,' but you don't have to listen to it. That's how you can oversleep all your life… Laziness is the biggest enemy we have.
I drive it out, it's weaker than me, and I repeat this to it every day. 'You're weak! Yes, you live with me. You are with me everywhere, but you are weak! You don't have the influence I have on you. I say that today we are going to training!" said Oleksandr Usyk.
The children were also interested in which fights were the most difficult for the champion, both morally and physically. But the boxer said that every fight was hard and suggested that the most difficult in his career might not have happened.
After that, several times young athletes asked how Oleksandr struggles with the fear of the ring.
"And I can't cope with fear. I'm a little worried, but with the same fear, and go to the ring. For example, in sports, we are afraid to upset mom, dad, loved ones. We are afraid that we will be told 'you lost,' but this should not be the case. Because victory and defeat are always close to each other. Defeat is not the end of life or the end of the world. This is something that should give you an understanding of how not to make a mistake next time," the athlete shared with the children.
When asked about Usyk's plans for the end of his boxing career, he said he would make a movie and ride horses. Oleksandr also mentioned a lot about his father, told how he started his career in sports and shared the secrets of raising his children: explain everything, set an example, don't allow to put something off.
Not everyone was able to ask questions, but the children were definitely happy with the meeting with the Ukrainian champion. For example, young boxer Anhelina says:
"I did not ask questions, but I listened very carefully. His thoughts are self-evident and very motivating. He says the right things and said many things that we need to remember."
Another athlete, also Anhelina, managed to ask a question:
"I managed to ask what I was interested in and really liked the meeting because he's an idol. I love his boxing style and follow his victories and fights. I hope he will have many more victories," said the girl.
The conversation with the children lasted about two hours and ended with the signing of autographs and the presentation of sweet gifts and boxing gloves, which BGV Group Management helped to buy.
"Our company has been cooperating with Oleksandr for a long time. We supported him in the final battle in London. And we were also pleased when Oleksandr approached us for support of his desire to communicate with children who are engaged in boxing in sections in such an informal way, on the eve of the New Year holidays.
We gladly responded, prepared sweet gifts, sports equipment, and took part in this event, which was a surprise for the children, who were able to communicate with the world champion," said Director of Communications BGV Group Management Oleh Zontov.
To recap, just before the meeting with the children, it became known that Usyk topped the ranking of the best boxers in the world, according to BoxRec. And now the athlete is preparing for a rematch with Anthony Joshua, who lost to the Ukrainian in London on September 25.
