Zoya Petrova is an outstanding skier from Kemerovo, Russia who was a pride of her region of Kuzbass. She began skiing in her youth and had success at both school and in sports clubs. Throughout her life, she was heavily involved in skiing competitions and served as a referee for many years after retiring. Some of her proudest accomplishments include winning championships in her region and medals for her service during World War II. She continues to share her experiences with young people and is seen as a legendary athlete by the people of Kuzbass.

1. Zoya Petrova
Olga Alexandrovna Shitina,
English teacher, school №48,
Kemerovo 2013

2. Zoya Petrova is an
outstanding skier.
She is a pride of
Kuzbass.
Having reached a pension age Zoya
Petrova was engaged in a referee
sport practice for many years. She
was a top-specialist in a secretariat of
many All-Union competitions.

3. Zoya was born in 1917. She studied
at school № 12. The patrons of this
school presented Zoya with skis as a
will to victory. So Zoya has got her
own skis for the first time.
Zoya got her first skiing-lessons from
her teachers. They were Nikolai
Stupnikov and Anatoly Drushlyak.
She was successful everywhere: at
school and in sports clubs.

4. As a leading sportsman
Zoya Petrova was sent to
serve
to
the
United
Militarized Fire-brigade №1.
And actually all her life was
connected with the Control
Fire guard. Her main pleasure
during the wartime was sport.
In winter 1942 Zoya
Petrova took part in a
political action of wartime,
in All-Union competitions in
skiing. She took part in
National championships in
skiing up to 1948.

5. Zoya Petrova’s enormous merits in sports were written
in a chronicle of Sport glory of the region. The title of a
laureate in a contest of “Kemerovite woman of a year” was a
symbol of Kuzbass people’s love to a legendary athlete.
Zoya Petrova has got a lot of rewards for prize places as
well as for social activity in sport. In her home place there
is a diploma of Olympic Committee of Russia for a big
contribution into the development of skiing and propaganda
of Olympic movement and a statuette “Running skier”.
Zoya Petrova was a champion in a team championship of
Kuzbass in 1947, 1954.

6. There are three dearest rewards for Zoya Petrova among
numerous ones.
They are:
- the medal for Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic
War (1941 – 1945),
- the medal for glorious Labour during the Great Patriotic War
(1941 – 1945)
- the order “Valour of Kuzbass” given by Aman Gumirovich
Tuleev, a Kuzbass governor (2007).

7. Zoya is always among young
people. She tries to tell them about
war time. She brings her all rewards
to the meetings with young people.
Now she gets a lot of invitations to
various sports events. But she
attends them only as a guest of
honour.
Kuzbass people are proud of
Zoya Petrova.