Olga likes the idea of fitting challenges in a particular time frame. All the challenges she undertook were tough mainly due to the distances and time periods she fitted them in.
Olga, a trader in sugar, landed herself a full time (9am till 7pm) job in Dubai in 2013 at sugar trading company Czarnikow
Published: Tue 25 Apr 2017, 11:40 PM
She runs to do charity. And she literally does, when she undertakes tough, physically-challenging sports activities only to turn them into charity causes. Olga Zolotova, 26, of Russia not only runs hundreds of miles but also bikes in tough terrains to show the world that she cares for the less privileged. Her faith in doing good can move mountains while she physically scales them unleashing all power within to improve lives of needy people whom she may or may not have even seen. Her ideology: Giving is not just about making a donation but making a difference.
Olga, a trader in sugar, landed herself a full time (9am till 7pm) job in Dubai in 2013 at sugar trading company Czarnikow. But since she was always into sports and healthy living, she would still squeeze out some time to either hit the gym or go for a jog. But in 2015, Olga learnt she was suffering from a serious medical condition and was told that she had bleak chances of survival. "My long-term life plans changed to short-term when I was told about my medical condition. I had plans for life like any other girl but in a second they were tossed aside. I thought now I have very few precious moments left so let me do some good for the world. Since I loved sports, I thought let me do what I love in the little time I have and make a difference in the lives of the needy."
Olga did her first charity event with this medical condition, while also getting the treatment done. She was not sure how long she would survive but she knew that the feeling of doing good for others was making her "feel good and happy." However, with the charity activities, her medical condition got improved and now she is completely cured of the disease.
In October 2015, Olga completed her first sports challenge for charity. "It was a 400km solo cycling event, wherein I cycled through the seven emirates in 24 hours. The challenge was dedicated to support children's education in developing countries, with a local charity organisation. The challenge was supported by Dubai Cares and Adventure HQ and Olga was able to collect more than Dh15,000 which went for kids' vaccination.
In December 2015, while Olga was looking for Christmas decorations at The Dubai Mall she saw a six-year-old wheelchair-bound child at the store with his parents. "He was looking at the tree and I asked him about Santa. His reply broke my heart. He said 'Santa will not come to me because I am sick. But if he comes to you will you tell him about me?'
The words of the little boy touched Olga's heart and she decided to dedicate her next challenge to sick kids. This challenge, which took place on December 29 and 30, was a 200km-run in 24 hours along Jumeirah Beach in partnership with charity organisation Marwa Fayed's Toy Run and Aramex where she collected 100kg of toys, which were sent to Pakistan and distributed to the Children's Cancer Hospital.
Olga likes the idea of accomplishing challenges in a particular time frame and all the challenges she undertook were mainly challenging due to the distances and time periods she fitted them in.
"For me the challenge is always to complete the number of kilometres before my time runs out. It is not easy to cycle or run 24 hours almost non-stop, making sure that your current pace will allow you to complete the challenge within the allocated time. But I think all that matters here is good preparation: physical, mental and logistical."
In April 2016 Olga planned a 7 emirates, 7 days, 7 ultra marathons (any run above 50km) charity event dedicated to the Syrian refugees' kids in camps in Lebanon, where she travelled to meet and greet them.
Olga had travelled to the Syrian border through Lebanon, and that experience led her to taking on this challenge. "I have a lot of friends from Syria and I know a lot of people who actually moved from Syria to Dubai and lost their parents and relatives. This is something that is happening in front of me and that's why I chose this one."
Olga partnered with Jusoor, a US-based nonprofit organisation that has been working in Lebanon since 2013 and helps in integrating children into the educational system by filling gaps in their knowledge and providing them a safe place to learn. Olga also visited the school to speak with the children before her challenge.
Olga, along with friend Khalaf, is now gearing up to scale yet another high altitude mountain in Russia called Elbros, the highest point in Europe. This time her good cause is dedicated to the stray pets of UAE.
"Sometimes, something small to us can have a big impact on somebody's life. You may enjoy doing certain activities for fun, but try adding purpose to them and the feel-good factor will be doubled. So lets make a difference together."
Celebration of tolerance
In 2016, when the UAE introduced the Anti-Discrimination Law, Olga along with her friend Mohamad Khalaf took up a tough climb to hoist the flag for tolerance in the UAE. The duo summited Tanzanian peak Kilimanjaro in July to promote the UAE as an accepting and inclusive country.
"The best thing about the UAE culture is that in spite of the diversity, it makes you feel that you belong here and it makes you feel safe." The seven-day climb was dedicated to promote UAE's welcoming culture. "On the UAE flag we raised at the summit, we put small flags of the nationalities living here."
Pedalling across DUNES
Olga's latest charity drive was completed in January 2017, when she and her sports buddy Khalaf cycled 150km across the sand dunes of Liwa desert in 24 hours to collect toys for orphans in the UAE and raise awareness about the issues they face.
Describing the challenge, Olga said: "On road, my average speed is 30kmph but in the sand dunes it was 5kmph. Half of the times we were carrying our bikes on our shoulders." The duo partnered with Adventure HQ and the Red Crescent, who provided donation boxes in Dubai's Time Square Centre and JBR from December 7 to 21. Red Crescent distributed the toys to orphans once donations were completed.
saman@khaleejtimes.com
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