Natalia Martianova: Participation in Paralympic Games is a big Olympic experience

12.06.2016 12:37

Natalia Martianova is a partner of horsetimes, a representative of "Moscow Youth" and a member of Russian Paralympic team. She told us about preparing to Games, also shared with us her planes and expectations.

Horsetimes: Natasha, thank you very much for your agreement to give us an interview. Soon there will be a Paralympic Games. Could you tell us in which competitions do you take part?

Natalia: I take part almost in all competitions of our horse riding club in which one we are staying - Maxima Stables. It's very convenient; I shouldn't harass my horse with long roads to competitions. At the same time it's a very good opportunity to maximize your feeling of contest.

Horsetimes: Which horse are you going to choose for taking part in competitions in Rio?
Natalia: I'm gonna take part in Rio on my general horse on which I have got license. It's Ilion.

Horsetimes: How are you preparing now? Do you have any plans about preparation to Paralympic Games? Going abroad to other championships? If it's yes, so when are you going to take part in other championships?
Natalia: We are training in a standard mode. I always look at soundness of my horse. When it is very active we always work under movements that we are going to execute in Paralympic dressage test. If Ilion isn't quite impulsive we are doing light work. We will have not gone abroad to championships until August. In August we will go with our team to training camps in Germany.

Horsetimes: What expectations do you have from your performance?
Natalia: I'm trying not to expect something from my performances. I will just work hard without any expectations. My general challenge is to show what we can do and also to make happier our public and tournament judges.

Horsetimes: Rules of Olympic dressage are very strict. Could you tell us what is the difference between Olympic dressage rules and Paralympic?
Natalia: I think that in Paralympic Games rules are stricter than in Olympic dressage. If the horse will disobey so the judges will have to make a remark to the sportsman. Plus to all, rules of Olympic dressage are applied to Paralympic dressage.

Horsetimes: Who is your coach? Do you have any adviser in preparation to Games?
Natalia: I represent GBD FSA "Moscow Youth"(department is situated in Kuzminki). My coach is Violetta Agasarova. She organizes our general work in starts, gives me some advices. They actively support me from the beginning of my Paralympic career. My own coach is my mom, her name is Valentina Martianova. I have trained under her guidance since my childhood. She has cultivated in me love and respect to horses. She also has taught me to listen to your horse, to find an individual way of training to each horse. My mom has taught me how to prepare the horse from nothing to movement of Grand Prix, and the most essential thing is to teach firstly the base and after all to work under different movements. That's a very important thing. My father Sergey Martianov also has contributed much in me. He has taught me how to perform, how to show your horse from the best side in competitions. All my first victories were with him.

Horsetimes: One of the main problem of Olympic and Paralympic Games is climate. How are you planning to adapt to it? Are you going to come there in advance?
Natalia: Climate in Rio is the same for everybody and no one from Europe go there in advance. At the same time it is winter in Brazil, so it won't be a big difference from Europe. It's gonna be really warm everywhere. It's a bad idea to go to hot climate in advance; it will be hard for horses and for sportsmen. And the longer you will stay there, the worse it will be for everyone who didn't used to live there.

Horsetimes: Your mom is a famous judge in dressage, does she help you?
Natalia: Of course she helps me, experience and knowledge of judging system are very important for rider. My mom is a judge. She always knows what you need for a better assessment, which one is more than mark "7" or just "good". If you want to perform more than 70%, you should have several movements for the mark more than seven. While you are training you do all the best and maximize your results.

Horsetimes: What does it matter for you to take part in Paralympic Games?
Natalia: For me taking part in Paralympic Games is, in the first place, a big experience. Olympic Games is a dream of every sportsman. And I also have the same one. But Paralympic Games is a start and a step that will help us to move further - to Olympic Games.

Horsetimes: Could you tell us about postparalympic planes?
Natalia: After Paralympic Games I even don't know what is going to be in my life. Maybe everything will stay the same as now, or maybe my life will change in another way. I don't know how it's gonna be. I can plan only what I have at this moment. My plan is to prepare my horse Ilion to Grand Prix. We have already tried to do passage and piaffe, and he is very well in it.

Author: Edition