I have a younger sister called Lisana. When we were small we didn’t get on terribly well, which is often the case with children. Sometimes we would argue and even fight, and then Mum would give us both a good telling-off. The only exception was when we played at gymnastics. We had a big apartment in Tashkent - actually in Uzbekistan they always built big apartments with high ceilings, so there was lots of space for us to play. I often used to pretend that I was a trainer, with gymnasts to train and educate.



So anyway, when my sister and I played at gymnastics she would always do what I said. She didn’t like going to the gym where everyone else trained, but when we played gymnastics at home with me as her trainer she loved it and was really enthusiastic. These days we’re soul-mates and I absolutely adore her. It amazes me now how we could ever have argued as children.

Lisana also tried to take up sport - first fencing, and then gymnastics. She was always running around the gym saying she wouldn’t train and stretch because she preferred running. She’s now studying to be a manager in the hotel business and dreams of setting up her own hotel in some cozy little town or on the coast, where people can go to relax and enjoy life.