Severneftegazprom
Sports
Race of Champions 2021: a challenge not for everyone!
Hundreds of extreme sports enthusiasts, four kilometers of rough terrain, 20 extreme stages, 210 participants, 42 teams from all over Yamal. For the fifth time Novy Urengoy hosted the «Race of Champions» - a competition for the strong in spirit and body.
Vasily Dunaev, Alexey Plotnikov, Irina Tamazlykar, Leonid Kamensky and Tatyana Zhuravleva represented OJSC Severneftegazprom at an open extreme race.
Five people in the team, two of them are girls. The age of the athletes is from 16 to 60. These are the basic conditions of the competition.
«Physical fitness, the ability to work in a team and the desire to win are the main criteria for success,» says Alexey Plotnikov, Deputy Head of the Company's Field Development Department. This is not the first time he has taken part in the Extreme Race. «The team was formed in half an hour, gathered the most desperate and persistent. The most important thing in such competitions is willpower and commitment. If you went to the start as a team, then you need to come to the finish together as well. Of course, minimal physical training is also necessary, otherwise by the middle of the route the strength will run out, we do not need this. It is very important to correctly assess your capabilities before the start of the race. Last year the first stage was water and from the start we were already running soaked. This year there is less water, but new stages have been added: forcing the river and pulling up on the horizontal bar,» says Alexey.
The weather favored the athletes - sunny and not so cold for the end of August. Numerous fans cheered absolutely everyone, admired the perseverance and tenacity of the participants.
The teams started every five minutes. The basic rule: if the opponent caught up, you need to yield to him at the test stage. The competition is serious. But our extreme sportsmen were not scared.
Irina Tamazlykar, specialist of the information security department of the corporate security service of the Company, is an experienced participant. Her decision to run is conscious. The girl is a fan of extreme sports and for her «Race of Champions» is an opportunity to test herself. «The most difficult thing for me is a pool of water, where you have to jump from a height of three to four meters. I am afraid of this stage and I want to overcome this fear. This is not a jacuzzi. It's not an easy decision,» says Irina.
The length of the route was four kilometers. Walking such a distance with a walking step is already a load. But besides this, twenty seemingly insurmountable obstacles awaited the extreme sports enthusiasts.
«The track is interesting, challenging, the adrenaline rush through the entire route. There are many water barriers,» says Leonid Kamensky, Leading Well Workover Specialist of OJSC Severneftegazprom.«This is a great opportunity to test yourself, to meet the guys in an informal setting. It's one thing in the office, another thing in the tundra. The trail goes through the forest, the autumn northern landscapes are beautiful. It will be interesting and extreme,» said Leonid before the start.
Vasily Dunaev is the driving force of the team. The strongest and physically most enduring participant. In 2019, he overcame the Yamal Half Marathon at the level of the third category in track and field athletics. Throughout the entire route, he looked after and helped the girls - he gave a hand, offered a shoulder, encouraged them with a joke, and at the last stages took them by the hand and literally dragged them to the finish line.
The winners were determined by time. The minimum to complete the route is 28 minutes 23 seconds. With this result, the team of Gazprom Dobycha Urengoy finished victoriously, the guests from the Tazovsky District took the second place, the guests from the Purovsky District took the third place.
The champions ran to the finish line exhausted, soaked, dirty and even in tattered sports uniforms. But they were happy and excited, because they were able to endure, overcome, help their comrades. People strong in body and spirit gave the fans a lot of positive emotions, made the day bright and memorable.
The team of OJSC Severneftegazprom completed the route in 38 minutes 25 seconds. Calmly and confidently, with a full complement, without injuries or disruptions. There are no losers in this race. Everyone who started the track that day is undoubtedly a champion!
