Natalia Fedyshyn: “Passion for Sport Prompted Me to Become a Physical Therapist”

Natalia Fedyshyn, a fourth-year student of the “Physical therapy, occupational therapy” training program, sees her career purely in the field of physical therapy. The choice of specialty is determined by a long sports life. Natalia Fedyshyn has been snowboarding since 2013. During this time, she fulfilled the standard of candidate for Master of Sports.

-I really like this sport. It is very entertaining, unusual, unique. I like its dynamics and adrenaline it gives. And all the unforgettable emotions spent with the team, with the “Extreme” school. My history in snowboarding started at school. In the fourth grade, my first coach came to visit us. She told us about the snowboarding club. It interested me greatly and I have been going in for this sport since the fourth grade.

-This is quite a traumatic kind of sport…

-Yes, but it is important to coordinate your movements, to have stability on the snowboard while riding. This will help you avoid injuries and achieve your goals. I have approximately 25-30 medals in snowboarding in various competitions. I took part in junior and adult competitions and the championship of Ukraine. I participated in international competitions in the Czech Republic back in 2018, where I won a bronze medal.

-Where do you train?

In summer, we prepare for physical activity, that is, in the gyms, on skates and rollers. We go to camps, where we also have several training sessions per day. And thus, we prepare for the winter season. In winter, we work on the technique of skiing on snow, develop resistance to various weather conditions, because very often the weather in winter is unstable.

-Why have you decided to become a specialist in the field of physical therapy”?

I chose “Physical therapy, occupational therapy” training program because snowboarding became an impetus for it. And also, the injuries that I saw and experienced myself. Rehabilitation will help me and other athletes recover from injuries. In the future, I plan to work with athletes as a physical therapist. Sports inspired me for this specialty.

-Do you like studying at TNMU?

I feel very comfortable. I like it very much… I have never regretted that I entered a medical university for rehabilitation training program, because it will help me in the future, both working with athletes and other people. Sports gave me what I will need in the work of a physical therapist, namely discipline, the ability to overcome various difficulties, endurance, individuality, and the achievement of one’s goals and objectives. All this is very important both in sports and in rehabilitation. Resilience on a snowboard is similar to stability in a specialty, which fuels the desire to develop and improve one’s skills.

-What are your plans for the future?

I am currently planning to enrol in a master’s degree program also at Ternopil National Medical University. I want to have a higher education degree in the chosen specialty. And in the future, I would like to work in this direction.

TNMU Press Secretary, Yanina Chaikivska.

Photographs by the author and Natalia Fedyshyn.

Technical support by Ihor Havryshchak.