Anastasija Samoilova born in Daugavpils, Latvia. She is a Latvian beach volleyball player. She represents Latvia at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo 2020. Kravčenoka and partner Tīna Graudiņa are the first Latvian women’s pair to qualify for the Olympics.
She participated in the 2013 European U18 Beach Volleyball Championship, with Tīna Graudiņa, the 2015 European U20 Beach Volleyball Championship, with Tereze Hrapane, the 2016 European U20 Beach Volleyball Championship, and the 2016 European U22 Beach Volleyball Championships, with Tīna Graudiņa, winning a gold medal.
Later she participated in the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, as well as in the 2019 European Beach Volleyball Championship, with Tīna Graudiņa, winning a gold medal. Kravčenoka married beach volleyball player Mihails Samoilovs, on September 2, 2022, and has been known as Samoilova since then.
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar catches up with Anastasija Samoilova an exceptionally talented Latvian Beach volleyball player, winner of 2019 European Beach Volleyball Championship Gold Medal, here she talks about her fitness routine, her diet, and her success story.
Namita Nayyar:
You were born at Daugavpils, Latvia. Where did you have your early education? You also studied educational management at the University of Latvia. By age of 16 years you participated in the 2013 European U18 Beach Volleyball Championship, with Tīna Graudiņa. This later propelled your career to the height where you have been at the top of the world as a beach volleyball player. Tell us more about your professional journey of exceptional hard work, tenacity, and endurance?
Anastasija Samoilova:
I was born in Daugavpils and studied in Daugavpils, first I finished Daugavpils Secondary school number 3 and later got a bachelor degree in Sport and social science education. Before I started training in volleyball I didn’t like sport at all, I always tried to forget my sport uniform bag at home. I was more an art person, I was singing in a choir, dancing, took theater classes, and went to the art school.
But when I started training in volleyball I fell in love with it. I wasn’t the best from the beginning; all my achievements were the result of hard work. First few years in the summer, when i didn’t have training I was playing with a wall in my garden. I spent a lot of hours just me, ball and wall. From age of 14 I got into youth national team. I think my indoor experience helped a lot for my beach volleyball career. And I was very lucky to have Tina in my team; we were and are the best beach players in Latvia.
Namita Nayyar:
The 2019 European Beach Volleyball Championship was held in Moscow, Russia from 5–11 August 2019 you won the Gold medal. Tell us more about these spectacular achievements in your beach volleyball playing career?
Anastasija Samoilova:
Actually we were not the favorites to win this European championship, I was only 21 and Tina was 20. Before that tournament I told my family that we will try to win gold, they just laughed because we were close to medals at that level. But we did it, it was a surprise for everyone, it was magical. One month after we qualified for Tokyo Olympic Games and we are the first women team from Latvia who did it.
It was unbelievable, incredible, Tina’s was crying, I was super happy. It was our goal, but we didn’t expect to qualify one year before Olympics. I Tokyo also unexpectedly for everyone we got into semifinal, that tournament I had a euphoria, I don’t know how drug addicted feel while using drugs, but I guess I felt something similar. We have many medals in a Beach pro tour.
Namita Nayyar:
In the 2016 European U22 Beach Volleyball Championships, with Tīna Graudiņa, you won a gold medal. How does such winning act as a catalyst in your metriotic rise as a world leading beach volleyball player?
Anastasija Samoilova:
To win European championship U22 was very important to start professional career. In 2016 I moved from my home city Daugavpils to Riga to be coached by the best coach in Latvia Aigars Birzuis and to practice with the best girls. I didn’t know will I play with Tina or not, and in August we won U22. It gave me opportunity to be only focused on my studies and beach volleyball that result gave us support from Olympic committee and we had small salary, financial support for competitions and training camp. I didn’t need to work anywhere, just train, play and study. Since then we always proved to be in Olympic committee and get this support. Without it I don’t think I would be able to continue my path.
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