Last year, Veronika Monika Stūriška became the world junior champion, but this year she added the triumph at the U-23 world championship to her list of achievements. Also, the representative of the “Silva ziķeru” club made her debut at the Paris Olympic Games in the summer, taking 20th place.
At the Silva BMX track near Smiltene, the athlete was unexpectedly notified of her inclusion in the list of athletes supported by the energy drink concern. Sturiška was speechless at first. After the first photo session in the “Red Bull” helmet, Angular commented his surprise to the portal Sportacentrs.com: “I even had tears in my eyes and started crying. This shows how big a surprise it was. I didn’t know anything. Yes, it’s impressive. Now it becomes clear why the big Red Bull arch and tent are here. The car arrived and also a lot of energy drinks around. I had no idea that there would be something like this.”
The information found on the “Red Bull” website shows that in addition to Stūriškas, there are five more Latvian athletes among the athletes supported by the concern. Arrival red bull the 18-year-old BMX cyclist also appreciates: “Now to be among six from Latvia – it’s a great honor to compete as a “Red Bull” athlete, which is very recognizable in the world, especially among extreme sports. It’s a great honor.”
“Since this is a surprise, I don’t know everything that it entails yet. What I do know is that now I will have a nice helmet. I will have cool drinks. There will also be a new status and an opportunity to prove myself at an even higher level to allow Red Bull to be proud of me,” emotionally noted Stūriska, who had already faced a very long line of young BMX cyclists eager for signatures.
Currently, with Stūriškas becoming a “Red Bull” athlete, Latvia becomes the most widely represented Baltic country in the list of “Red Bull” athletes. Lithuania has two athletes, and Estonia five. The list of current “Red Bull” athletes from Latvia includes beach volleyball players Anastasija Samoilova and Tīna Graudiņa, rally athlete Mārtiņš Sesks, skateboarder Madars Apse and parkourist Pavel Petkun.
Anastasia Samoilova. Photo: Volleyball World
Sturiška was welcomed into the “Red Bull” family Anastasia Samoilova. The winner of the fifth place of the Paris Olympic Games in a pair with Tina Graudiņa revealed that she is happy to see another Latvian athlete among the athletes supported by “Red Bull”: “I am really happy and honored that another girl is joining us, who will represent “Red Bull” from Latvia. It’s a great honor, because “Red Bull” athletes are always the best and strongest. Not only those who have shown themselves on the world stage. It’s very cool that Veronika already participated in the Olympic Games, being only 18 years old.”
Samoilova portal Sportacentrs.com also told what this status entails: “Red Bull’s athletes are the best, so you have to maintain the level. Red Bull, on the other hand, not only demands results, but also gives back. We can use Red Bull in Salzburg sports performance center[[Athlete Performance Center – no angļu val.]. There are doctors and physiotherapists who will make sure that Tina and I are tested and can improve our performance. Also, athletes have access to learning platforms where they can get information about using social networks, building an athlete’s brand and how to talk to the media. It is very valuable that they have created a base for athletes, where they can learn and develop themselves as a person as well.”
Social networks are an integral part of the work of a modern athlete. The beach volleyball player confirmed that without a considerable presence of social networks it is difficult to attract additional funding: “Without the support of sponsors, we would not be able to go to all the competitions and pay the coaches to participate in all the competitions and train as it should be done by world-class female athletes. Sponsors give us the biggest support. No one is interested in taking an athlete who has a small number of followers without social networks. We have beach volleyball Volleyball World TVwhich cannot be found on TV. Therefore, social networks are the ones through which you show yourself and tell about yourself to the world. Let’s find out about ourselves, which helps to attract additional money.”
