Show us an activity you enjoy doing. Tell us how you think it contributes to your personal and professional development

by Oleksii Nazarenkov

Prepared exclusively for application package to

IMBA program in IE Business School

September 2014

Why speed skating is an activity I enjoy doing?

• I can practice it on virtually any surface: ice or ground, and everywhere: in- and outdoors

• It develops my physical strength and endurance: I am passionate about running long distances - from 10km to full 42km marathons

• It helps to maintain such critical skills as strategic and tactical planning, and self-control

How did it influence my development?

It made me Persistent in achieving my goals

• I learn to set high goals and work hard every day to reach them

At work my consistent approach, stamina and ability to go above and beyond ensured my professional success

One of my goals is getting real: my spurt on Kyiv Open ‘2007 to my first podium finish in my career

• Never give up and be ready to face any obstacle

• Go beyond expectations even if the outcome seems impossible

It boosted my Team Spirit and Leadership

• To succeed in speed skating I learned how to keep a balance between personal ambitions and team tasks

At work my ability to accept different models of behavior allowed me to find common ground with the members of my multicultural team in EY

• This unique sport taught me to collaborate not only with my team, but also with my rivals

• Mutual trust and understanding between team members are important keys to success

Race pack - is a form of collaboration between all racers to go 10-20% faster than an individual skater, while the majority of pack members expend 10-15% less energy

All competitors need to agree to work hard in rotation, leading the pack and allowing others to recover in wind shadow In a long-distance race skater can reach good results only with the help of his or her team

It taught me to Challenge Myself

In everyday life I know that if I want to grow, I should overcome myself and stay out of my comfort zone – this is the only way to develop and get stronger

My challenge: I have turned from a delicate child with a medical ban on any sport activities into a strong racer. I’m fighting for 8th place near the finish line in a professional marathon

• Preparing for a marathon, I investigated the limitations of my body

• I learned how to distribute internal physical and mental resources wisely

• Every race has a moment when you have no strength to run more, but when you manage to overcome yourself, you understand what does life tastes like

It taught me to be a Strategic Thinker

• Carefully plan any route and get ready for the competition before the start

To make false spurts to exhaust competitors

To be near a particular competitor and block his spurt in critical moment of the

race

To win the race, relying on support

of the team

In my life my commitment to planning strategically my professional and personal development with my readiness to change helps me to reach my ambitious goals in

today’s turbulent environment

• Assess your own strengths and distribute the roles among the team wisely

• Predict the strategy of your competitors

• Be flexible to change the plans on the go

It made sport become my Lifestyle

• Sport is a great way to recharge after pressure of a hard day

Now I do not practice speed skating professionally, still, different kinds of sports, such as carting, snowboarding, and kiting remain an integral and enjoyable part of my life

• And sport is just simply a way to have fun!

• Sport is an opportunity for informal communication with colleagues

To conclude…

I would say that speed skating not only taught me a lot, but also contributed to my ability to keep a balance in my life: to be a highly determined achiever and, at the same time, be a supportive friend and life partner.

THE END

All pictures used in this presentation are from personal archive of Oleksii Nazarenkov