Community Corner
Darien Mentor Teaches Student 'To Succeed Gracefully'
Patch and When the Game Stands Tall are asking about the people who inspired you.
Patch and When the Game Stands Tall are asking about the coaches, teachers or mentors who inspired you.
Annika Florio writes about her mentor, Vladimir Kovalenko.
- Mentor Name: Vladimir Kovalenko
- Known Mentor for: 10 years
- School: Darien YMCA Gymnastics
- Town: Darien
- State: Connecticut
Vlad has impacted my life over the years greatly. He taught me how to succeed gracefully, and how to succeed both in and out of the gym.What mentor taught about dealing with failure:
Vlad taught me to always pick myself back up when I was down. I struggled with certain mental blocks for years, and he continued to patiently push me and help me gain my skills back. He taught me that even sometimes failure yields the greatest successes, and that there is always room for improvement.
Best advice from mentor:
It would be inappropriate to say that Vlad has only given me one good piece of advice. Vladimir has taught me so much about how to be successful both inside and out of the gym, and taught me things I never could have learned from anyone else. He taught me to pick myself back up when I was down. He was always telling myself and my teammates to keep pushing forward, as there were always better things to learn, even if they took a lot of time and effort. I can credit a lot of my current self to Vladimir, I don’t think I have ever learned so much from one person.
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Patch would like to know about the people in your life who inspired you. Tell us about the coach, mentor or teacher who made a difference in your life. Your mentor will be entered for a chance to win a prize package from Patch. All Everyday Hero submissions will be shared on Patch. Nominate your mentor here.
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