Quantcast IMOW - Growing Roots
Stories
[close]
Themes
What Defines Your Generation of Women?
[close]
Love
Relationships in changing times. See the Stories>>

Money
Working women talk finances. See the Stories>>

Culture and Conflict
Are we destined to disagree? See the Stories>>

The Future
Envisioning the next 30 years. See the Stories>>

Highlights
Highlighted stories in film, art, music and more. See the Stories>>

War & Dialogue
Speaking from war. Advocating peace. See the Stories>>

Young Men
Our generation: young men speak out. See the Stories>>

Motherhood
Women get candid about pregnancy, parenting and choice. See the Stories>>

Image and Identity
Appearances aren't everything, or are they? See the Stories>>

Online Film Festival
31 films from women directors around the world. See the Stories>>

A Generation Defined
Who are young women today? See the Stories>>

Best of Contest
You came, you saw, you voted. Here are the winners. See the Stories>>
Conversations
[close]
What Defines Your Generation of Women?
selected theme



HOME  |   EXPLORE OTHER THEMES     |   STORIES     |  CONVERSATION    |  EVENTS  |  TAKE ACTION  |  ABOUT
Search:  
  GO  
REGISTER  |  LOGIN Change Language»    Invite a friend »
Growing Roots
Oksana Baiul
UkraineGALLERYCONVERSATION
When I was sixteen, I won the gold medal in figure skating at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway.
What do you do after you're a gold medallist? You're flying high, and then what? First I had to make the transition to professional skating - which was hard because it was more about performing and entertaining than about precision and technical skill. I was sixteen, and my body started changing shape, just as you might predict for a girl that age - but no one told me what to expect, or what I needed to eat to maintain fitness for my skating.
For years, it was just me and the entertaining, and there was no one else in my life. I'd go on tour with all the skaters, who were my friends, and then I'd come home, and it was just me, alone, in my apartment. I didn't really trust a lot of people. There were always lots of people around, but they were being paid by me. I started drinking a lot. My doctor told me I had a problem with alcohol.
But then when I was about twenty-three, things started changing. I somehow knew I couldn't spend the rest of my life concentrating only on the skating. There was more to being a person than that, and I had to be ready and willing to find it.
See Full Story »
RELATED ITEMS (11)

 
Giada Ripa di Meana
Italy
I am in my late twenties, approaching my thirtieth birthday....
GO TO STORY »
Marcela Nievas
Argentina
The past decade, I graduated as a teacher but secretly...
GO TO STORY »
Lavinia Tan
Singapore
I feel that women of my generation are somehow being both...
GO TO STORY »
Karenna Gore Schiff
United States
Confession: this article was due a long time ago. But while...
GO TO STORY »
©2008 International Museum of Women / Privacy Policy and Disclaimer / Translated by 101translations / Change Language
The content in this exhibit does not necessarily represent the opinions of the International Museum of Women, or its partners or sponsors.