The 37-year-old Kyrgyzstani has been competing since the age of five and has spent most of her life traveling the world to train, compete and learn about the diverse cultures that exist around the world. While fans and observers see Instagram posts from various locations and imagine a carefree, jet-setting adventurer collecting passport stamps, the truth is that for Shevchenko, being a martial artist and a world traveler go hand in hand.
“I would say that traveling and training in different places is not just about training camp. It’s more about my lifestyle because for me, martial arts and traveling are the same thing,” began the flyweight leader, who spent time in Thailand, Morocco, Las Vegas and Texas before completing her preparations for Saturday’s clash with Zhang in New Jersey. “It’s me as a person…I think it’s my lifestyle, and I think it benefits me because I’m learning every day, not only in martial arts, but also in life itself. You can live in one place your whole life and think (this is the world), but it’s not. Once you start traveling, you understand how diverse the world is, how many different cultures and different people we have, how amazing they are.
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“I would say it’s very lucky to have this opportunity to travel and see the world.”
But here’s what’s sometimes missed when wondering aloud about all of Shevchenko’s travels and whether the lack of a dedicated home base and constant training in different locations is ultimately beneficial or detrimental to her career: Everywhere she goes, her head coach Pavel Fedotov is by her side, orchestrating things. And just as the number of hands makes the job easier, more eyes studying an opponent means more chances to spot their tendencies and weaknesses, opportunities to attack and the best path to victory.
