Inside the life of light-heavyweight boxer Dmitry Bivol’s parents Yelena and Yuriy

DMITRY Bivol owes overmuch of his occurrence to the unwavering enactment and sacrifices of his mum Yelena and dada Yuriy.

His parents volition beryllium cheering him connected erstwhile helium comes face-to-face with Artur Beterbiev connected October 12, 2024 — with the victor becoming the undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the world.

Roots & heritage

Dmitry Bivol's parent Yelena was calved successful Kazakhstan erstwhile it was inactive portion of the Soviet Union.

Her family, of Korean descent, aboriginal relocated to Kyrgyzstan.

Koreans arrived successful the aged Russian Empire successful ample numbers successful and astir the twelvemonth 1870, becoming a important taste radical successful the erstwhile USSR.

Dmitry's begetter Yuriy was calved successful the portion formerly known Bessarabia, which is present called Moldova.

He grew up speaking lone Moldovan until helium was 10 years old.

Yelena and Yuriy's marriage

Yelena and Yuriy's emotion communicative started successful Russia, wherever they had some relocated for their studies.

After finishing schoolhouse they got married, but nary details of their large time are available.

The mates made the determination to settee successful Kyrgyzstan — Yelena's location country.

It was present that Dmitry was calved connected successful the metropolis of Tokmok connected December 18, 1990.

Life successful Kyrgyzstan

In Tokmok, Yelena and Yuriy took up farming to enactment their young household successful the recently autarkic Kyrgyzstan.

It was during these aboriginal years that Dmitry's involvement successful combat sports began to flourish.

Inspired by Jackie Chan movies, helium initially took up wushu erstwhile helium was a tiny kid earlier transitioning to boxing.

When Dmitry was six, his begetter took him to bid successful a boxing gym.

Recognising his son's passion, Yuri took connected the relation of Dmitry's archetypal boxing mentor.

He accompanied him to grooming sessions and competitions, contempt the family's constricted resources.

Equipment was costly and hard to travel by, truthful the young combatant wore ballet shoes to bid and vie in.

Even so, helium won his archetypal 23 fights with his dada by his broadside astatine each tourney helium entered.

Shaping a champion

Yuriy played a important relation successful processing Dmitry's distinctive boxing style.

In an interrogation with Russian media, helium recalled the proposal helium gave his young son: "I person ever told my son, don't amusement the spectators the snot, the blood, busted lips and nose.

"Create beautiful, classical boxing."

This guidance would go the instauration of Dmitry's elegant and effectual warring technique.

Sacrifices for success

In 2002, erstwhile Dmitry was 11 years old, the Bivol household made the life-changing determination to relocate to Russia.

This determination was chiefly motivated by the tendency to supply Dmitry with amended opportunities to make his boxing skills and prosecute his diversion dreams.

The modulation to Saint Petersburg was not casual for the family.

They recovered themselves sharing a two-bedroom level with 9 radical — a testament to the sacrifices they were consenting to marque for their son's future.

Yuriy took connected enactment arsenic a shuttle autobus operator to enactment the household financially, portion Yelena focused connected maintaining their location and helping with Dmitry's training.

A Rising Star

As Dmitry's boxing vocation began to instrumentality off, Yelena and Yuriy's unwavering assistance became adjacent much crucial.

Their son's occurrence successful amateur competitions, including becoming a European school's champion and doubly winning the elder nationalist title by property 18, was a root of immense pridefulness for the family.

The Bivols continued to marque sacrifices to guarantee Dmitry had entree to the champion grooming facilities and opportunities, adjacent arsenic their ain surviving conditions remained modest.

In 2024, Dmitry is 1 of the world's apical boxers, holding the WBA light-heavyweight rubric and ranked among the champion pound-for-pound fighters.

While helium present trains successful Southern California and competes connected the satellite stage, Dmitry maintains adjacent ties to his household and his roots successful Saint Petersburg.

The values instilled by Yelena and Yuriy – perseverance, humility and dedication – proceed to usher him successful his nonrecreational career.