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Olympic rhythmic gymnastics champion Alina Kabaeva is both a famous and an exuberant personality. A State Duma Deputy with her own show on a national TV channel. In short, she’s a star.

The government has often said that it’s within our capabilities to produce some champions from amongst today’s young starlets for Russia’s first Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014. But we need to start training our future champions now.

Anya, hi!, says Alina as she enters the room. Nice to meet you. We can call each other by our first names, can’t we?

A State Duma member, an Olympic Champion and just a gorgeous woman (Russia's most beautiful woman according to a national survey held by Russian Reporter and Public Opinion Foundation), Alina Kabaeva told RR how it feels to be strong and talked about life goals, destiny, and love.

Her performances were followed by all Russians. Beautiful, winsome and artistic, she excited admiration of both the public and the stern judges. But any victory is the result of hard workouts, self-restriction, and drudgery. A good athlete is always made of guts, will, and commitment. All these qualities are needed every day, in and out of the gym. Having retired from sports, Alina Kabaeva has not vanished in the dark. Today she is deputy chair of the State Duma Youth Committee.

Alina, it was you who spearheaded the Youth Year. When was this idea born and what did you see behind the name? How difficult was it to materialize the initiative?

In an anniversary issue a year ago, we published an interview with Alina Kabaeva, who told us a lot about her family, her sports career, and her new self as a politician.

Alina Rhythmic Gymnastics Festival for Children was held in Moscow for the first time this Tuesday. It became a real gift for three thousand orphans on the eve of the Children’s Day

Construction of a world-class sports centre starts in the South Ossetian capital

Everyone knows that 2009 was announced the Youth Year in Russia. 5 Ballov's staff writer Yulia Drozdova interviewed Alina Kabaeva, a member of the State Duma and Deputy Chair of its Youth Committee, who was the author of the Youth Year initiative.

A beautiful and successful lady, a famous rhythmic gymnast, a State Duma member, the hostess of the popular Steps to Success show on REN TV, the Youth Year proponent, the initiator of a Common State Exam support hotline... All these are one person, Alina Kabaeva.

Success is possible when you really want it, believe in luck, and work hard.