Katerina Tugusheva has been working in the media for over 10 years. Hardworking, smart, and mega-responsible. We met 5 years ago when we worked on one of the Saturday summer evenings in the huge open space of the UMH group.
After this time, I became the editor-in-chief of HOCHU.ua, and Kateryna became the editor-in-chief of the Vitaguru. co portal.
In addition to her vast experience in the media, Katerina Tugusheva takes pictures and modestly calls herself an amateur athlete. But in fact, she is no longer an amateur – she participates in all races not only in Kyiv, but throughout Ukraine, and also cannot imagine her life without yoga and kickboxing. About this and much more – in our interview.
- How many years have you been working in media?
I have been in the media for over 10 years! I am proud that I have worked in the best Ukrainian publications, and in each, I was lucky to work with excellent teams. This is an interesting and long way, where I got a tremendous experience, which I really appreciate. Every step along the way has brought me to where I am today.
- What publication do you work for now and what is your position?
Now I work as editor-in-chief at Vitaguru. co. This is an Internet portal about a healthy lifestyle, sports, youth, and beauty. I confess that I really wanted to get this job. I feel 100% at home here. This work inspires me, I want to share my experience, develop with my team, and learn new things.
It seems to me that this is the main thing: to find what you really like, what makes you happy.
- How has your work schedule changed?
Now my working day is very extended compared to the previous work schedule, but I like that now I do not have a rigid time frame. This gives more freedom and does not limit inspiration.
- Is it difficult to work remotely?
I already had a period when I worked remotely for six months. Of course, there are both pluses and minuses in this, but there were no difficulties for me in connection with the transition to a remote mode. I do not need to somehow discipline myself and additionally motivate, myself because I love my job. I admit I prefer to work in silence, without being distracted by unnecessary office conversations and coffee breaks.
Yes, personal communication is very important, many issues can be resolved more quickly, but now there are all opportunities for organizing productive teamwork online.
- What kind of people inspire you in your work?
My deep conviction is that everything you do should bring pleasure. No other way. Therefore, I am inspired by people who have burning eyes, who are in love with what they do, and it doesn’t matter in what area.
I like purposeful and responsible people. I really appreciate these qualities.
- In addition to having an impressive experience in the media, you are also a big sports fan. I want to dwell on this in more detail. How many years have you been in sports?
Oh, it seems to me that sport has always been in my life! Today it is an integral part of me, and I have no idea how I lived before. I started going to the gym regularly about 8 years ago.
- What sports do you do?
I do running, yoga and kickboxing. These are, at first glance, rather incompatible sports, but I love every workout and I can’t say which I like the most. They complement each other very harmoniously and help develop the body and work on strength and endurance – both physical and psychological, internal.
- How does sport help you at work?
At every workout, one of my trainers says:
You are stronger than you think and capable of more than you expect from yourself.
It is worth repeating to ourselves more often for each of us. When I started running and meditating more, I realized that I can do anything!
Nothing is impossible. Nothing is impossible for a person who believes in it. I am ready to take on challenges, expand horizons and achieve new goals. And all this gives me sport. I feel happy after training, it is my source of strength and inspiration.
- How much time do you devote to sports now, during quarantine?
I, like before quarantine, train every day. Now even more, because I added morning workouts to evening workouts, and on weekends I can run, for example, as much as I want, without being limited by the schedule. In addition, I myself draw up a training plan, listening to myself and my body, choosing, for example, between functional training and stretching.
- Do you have sports mentors? If yes, who exactly?
I really love all my coaches, and athletes have always inspired me. If we talk about idols, then these are Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and Usain Bolt.
If you want to be a winner you gotta work like a winner
I wrote down these words of Usain Bolt and hung them on my desktop.
- Do you motivate yourself to go in for sports, and if so, how?
Sport is what I love the most, so I don’t need motivation. It seems that more than anything in the world I love my workouts! :).
For example, running for me is an invaluable time alone when I think about something important or just enjoy the morning air and birdsong in the park. This is my meditation, many important insights and decisions came during the runs. There is a mood – I run, no mood – I also run. This is the whole secret.
Good day or bad, but the workout is on schedule.
Globally, our whole life is training. When I realized this, everything became clearer. I really like the idea of Wladimir Klitschko that there are no problems, this just challenge that you accept and that you can manage.
- What’s the first thing you do after quarantine?
I will go with my sister to my favorite ice-cream cafe and I will walk for a long time around Kyiv, on Postal Square, Kontraktova. And I’ll also run a long run around Kyiv with my favorite club Adidas Runners Kyiv. Although I prefer to run alone, I really missed the team.
It seems to me that people have ceased to appreciate simple and important things. I’m sure we all just needed to slow down to some degree. Slow down to understand where and how to move on. And no matter how fast, the main thing is forward.
