Impairment Information |
Type of Impairment |
Spinal Cord Injuries |
Origin of Impairment |
Acquired |
Classification |
S4, SB4, SM4 |
Further Personal Information |
Family |
Daughter Rufiya [1999] |
Residence |
Taraz, KAZ |
Occupation |
Athlete |
Languages |
Russian |
Sport Specific Information |
When and where did you begin this sport? |
She began Para swimming in 1991, at age 26, in Taraz, Kazakhstan, and took up the sport more seriously in 2007. |
Why this sport? |
She switched from wheelchair racing to swimming. She took up the sport as a means of rehabilitation. |
Club / Team |
Zhambyl Regional Sports Club for People with Impairments: Taraz, KAZ |
Name of coach |
Sattar Beysembayev [personal], KAZ, from 2007 |
General Interest |
Nicknames |
Storm (Athlete, 19 Aug 2021) |
Hobbies |
Playing toguz kumalak [a traditional Central Asian board game], needlework, knitting. (Athlete, 10 Sep 2019, 19 Aug 2021) |
Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning gold in the S3 100m freestyle at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (Athlete, 19 Aug 2021) |
Most influential person in career |
Coach Sattar Beysembayev. (Athlete, 19 Aug 2021) |
Hero / Idol |
Kazakhstani boxer Bakhtiyar Artayev, Kazakhstani weightlifter Ilya Ilyin. (Athlete, 19 Aug 2021) |
Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Whoever leaves training last will be first to cross the finish line. 99% work, 1% success." (Athlete, 19 Aug 2021) |
Awards and honours |
She was named 2018 Best Female Athlete of the Year at the annual People's Favourite Awards in Kazakhstan. (paralympic.org, 25 Jan 2019)
In 2016 she received the Barys Order [second grade] in Kazakhstan. (akorda.kz, 13 Dec 2016)
She received the 2015 Sports Award from the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan in the Overcoming of the Year category. (dknews.kz, 19 Apr 2016)
She has received the title of Honoured Master of Sport in Kazakhstan. (kazsports.kz, 20 Dec 2017) |
Milestones |
She became the first Kazakhstani athlete to win a medal at the Paralympic Games, when she claimed gold in the S3 100m freestyle at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (paralympic.org, 28 Sep 2016) |
Famous relatives |
Her cousin Almir Mukhutdinov has represented the Kazakhstani national men's football team and played in the leagues of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. (Athlete, 19 Aug 2021) |
Ambitions |
To win gold at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, and to compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Athlete, 19 Aug 2021; the-steppe.com, 02 Oct 2019) |
Impairment |
In 1971, at age five, she was hit by a motorbike and sustained spinal cord injuries, a concussion and multiple fractures. (Athlete, 19 Aug 2021; vlast.kz, 11 Nov 2015) |
Other information |
POLITICIAN
She has been a member of the political council of the Nur Otan party in Kazakhstan. (taraz.zhambyl.gov.kz, 10 Jun 2020) |
Paralympic Games (Overall) |
| Rank |
Year |
Event |
Result |
| Heats |
2012 |
50m Backstroke S4 |
1:10.12 |
| 1 |
2016 |
100m Freestyle S3 |
1:30.07 |
| 6 |
2016 |
50m Backstroke S3 |
1:00.68 |
| 7 |
2016 |
150m Individual Medley SM4 |
3:25.30 |
| Heats |
2016 |
50m Breaststroke SB3 |
1:19.01 |
| 4 |
2016 |
50m Freestyle S4 |
42.24 |
| 15 |
2021 |
150m Individual Medley SM4 |
3:55.74 |
| 8 |
2021 |
50m Freestyle S4 |
48.12 |
| 15 |
2021 |
50m Backstroke S4 |
1:21.90 |
World Championships (Overall) |
| Rank |
Year |
Event |
Result |
| 2 |
2013 |
50m Freestyle S3 |
47.79 |
| 3 |
2013 |
50m Backstroke S3 |
1:11.53 |
| 3 |
2013 |
100m Freestyle S3 |
1:45.41 |
| 4 |
2013 |
150m Individual Medley SM3 |
3:47.45 |
| 3 |
2015 |
50m Freestyle S4 |
48.18 |
| 3 |
2015 |
100m Freestyle S3 |
1:46.11 |
| Heats |
2015 |
200m Freestyle S5 |
3:43.43 |
| Heats |
2015 |
150m Individual Medley SM4 |
3:41.50 |
| Heats |
2015 |
50m Breaststroke SB3 |
1:25.85 |
| Heats |
2015 |
50m Backstroke S3 |
1:16.30 |
| 5 |
2017 |
50m Backstroke S3 |
1:13.96 |
| 2 |
2017 |
100m Freestyle S3 |
1:40.21 |
| 1 |
2017 |
50m Freestyle S3 |
42.87 |
| Heats |
2019 |
100m Breaststroke SB4 |
3:38.76 |
| 6 |
2019 |
100m Freestyle S4 |
1:39.81 |
| Heats |
2019 |
200m Freestyle S5 |
3:46.78 |
| 7 |
2019 |
4 x 50m Medley Relay 20 Points |
3:01.53 |
| Heats |
2019 |
150m Individual Medley SM4 |
4:00.39 |
| Heats |
2019 |
50m Backstroke S4 |
1:11.93 |
| 7 |
2019 |
50m Freestyle S4 |
44.92 |
European Championships |
| Rank |
Year |
Event |
Result |
| 6 |
2016 |
50m Backstroke S3 |
1:11.03 |
| 1 |
2016 |
50m Freestyle S3 |
43.22 WR |
| 6 |
2016 |
50m Breaststroke SB3 |
1:24.96 |
| 1 |
2016 |
100m Freestyle S3 |
1:39.61 |
| 6 |
2016 |
150m Individual Medley SM4 |
3:39.90 |
| 12 |
2021 |
50m Breaststroke SB3 |
1:40.29 |
| 6 |
2021 |
100m Freestyle S4 |
1:50.48 |
| 6 |
2021 |
150m Individual Medley SM4 |
4:01.86 |
| |
2021 |
50m Backstroke S4 |
DSQ |
| 7 |
2021 |
50m Freestyle S4 |
49.01 |
Asian Para Games |
| Rank |
Year |
Event |
Result |
| 4 |
2014 |
100m Freestyle S5 |
1:47.92 |
| 1 |
2014 |
50m Freestyle S5 |
46.40 |
| 2 |
2018 |
50m Backstroke S4 |
1:17.72 |
| 1 |
2018 |
100m Freestyle S4 |
1:47.27 |
| 3 |
2018 |
200m Freestyle S5 |
3:29.37 |
| 2 |
2018 |
50m Freestyle S4 |
45.51 |
