Curling star shares childhood and goals on 'Titans'

Russian curling champion from Nizhnevartovsk Victoria Furmanova is competing in the third season of the sports entertainment show «Titans» under number 49. The Yugra native brilliantly passes the most difficult challenges time and again. However, she is given very little airtime so far.

The standout athlete openly answered questions from 86.RU. She talked about her childhood in Yugra, curling, family, and, of course, her participation in the popular project.

— You were born and raised in Nizhnevartovsk, then moved away. What memories do you have of your childhood city?

— Naturally, my hometown is my favorite. I remember walking around at the Samotlor Nights festival, and those biting frosts on my birthday, January 25. Aktirovki — school closures due to extreme cold — which no one in the country except Siberians knows about. All the memories are very warm and heartfelt! My first school was school No. 9, located on Komsomolsky Boulevard. At that time, it had an advanced curriculum in technology subjects. My dad wanted me to study there so much that a year before enrollment, I attended preparatory courses there. In Yugra, I’ve only been to Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut. The rest of the time I spent in Nizhnevartovsk and the village of Bylino with my grandparents.

— Is it true that at age 15 you wanted to be called Vitalya?

— Since early childhood, I didn’t like the short form of my name — Vika. My full name is Victoria, and I believed I should be called that. At age 11, I discovered there’s another short form for Victoria — Vita. The full name means victory, and Vita means life. This philosophy of my name, its value and significance, became very close to me. Plus, my dad always knew he would have children named Polina, Victoria, and Artyom. And that’s what happened, in order. Without discussing it with my mom, he registered my birth certificate with the name Victoria — victory. And my sports friends started calling me Vitalya. It was such a joke because I was friends with everyone, and it created a «brotherly» impression of me.

— How did sports, and curling in particular, appear in your life?

— In 2014, after the Olympics, my family moved to Sochi. I wanted to enroll in an art school, but the fall enrollment had already ended. It was September 24. That same day, my mom saw an announcement on a scrolling ticker about recruitment for a curling section. I resisted as much as I could! I really didn’t want to go, but my mom insisted I try. And now no one regrets it!

— At 15, you enrolled in the School of Olympic Reserve in St. Petersburg. Was the decision to move difficult?

— The move was planned nine months in advance. In 2017, after holidays in St. Petersburg, I decided for myself that this curling school would teach me a lot and I needed to go there. I didn’t think about difficulties at all. I told my coach about my plans in advance, and she supported me. My potential always exceeds boundaries, and I needed to seize the moment for development. I moved alone. But that same year, my older sister moved to St. Petersburg, so I felt a sense of security and confidence that I wouldn’t be lonely. But I decided to live in the dormitory at the UOR (School of Olympic Reserve). The conditions there were comfortable in every way.

— What achievements in your sports career are you especially proud of? Were there difficult moments when you wanted to quit curling?

— My biggest victory is the Russian Under-22 Championship in 2019. I had just started playing in St. Petersburg, and immediately such a big win at age 16! And the second is the Russian Championship in 2023. I immediately met the master of sports standard and joined the main women’s national team. These results are entirely dedicated to my hard work and difficult path.

Actually, I wanted to quit curling many times. There were tough relationships with my coach and turning points when I didn’t win any medals in a season. Motivation was greatly lost: it seemed like I was playing better but not winning. Mostly, my desire to quit arose from unrealized potential. I wanted a lot and still burn with that idea, but I need like-minded people.

— What are you like in character? Are you ready to pursue your goal, overcoming all obstacles? Are you different on the sports arena and in everyday life?

— I’m very stubborn. I argue with everyone, even if I’m wrong. My husband suffers with me but endures it. My goals sometimes seem vague, but they are quite definite. During competitions, I go straight to victory. Victory is necessary for me, as my birth certificate says.

My life is a hero’s race with many obstacles. I’m afraid of stumbling, but I keep going. I cry from defeats, but I keep going. Sometimes I change direction, shifting focus, but I keep going. I’m the same at home and in the arena. On the ice, naturally, I’m angrier, but at home I also get angry from failures.

— How did you meet your husband? How did your spouse react to your participation in «Titans», and did he apply himself?

— My husband is Yegor Furmanov, a master of sports in baseball, the most unpopular sport in Russia. We met at a national team training camp in Kislovodsk in March 2024. We were celebrating the birthday of a girl from our team. She had known the baseball guys for a long time. We joked with each other and accidentally ended up in Sochi for another training camp. I was playing for the Sochi team then and was doing training sessions before my last youth championship, and they were at a camp before a tournament in China. We communicated for a whole month and started to understand each other without words — that’s when mutual sympathy happened.

Yegor met my mom, and on September 3 we became spouses. We chose the date specifically so that Mikhail Shufutinsky’s song would play everywhere on our day. When I told Yegor that artificial intelligence selected me for «Titans», he replied: ‘I’m not surprised.’ It sounds somewhat offensive, but not really. As he explained: ‘I’m not surprised because you’re the strongest in curling in our country.’ His favorite phrase is: ‘You’re on fire, bunny.’ He’s afraid to participate in «Titans»: the filming embarrasses him, but he has a lot of acting talent and is photogenic.

— Why did you decide to participate in «Titans»?

— I went to participate without any doubts. It’s a chance given to the chosen few, and it’s foolish to refuse it. Plus, I’m truly strong and ready to give 100%.

— Before, when you watched the project on TV, did it seem like the challenges weren’t that hard?

— Thinking the tasks are easy is destructive. All tasks are designed so that no one finds them easy! A ‘Titan’ is a universal athlete who can adapt to anything. So I always expect a trick, especially if everything seems clear and simple. However, it never seemed easy from the start.

— You’re shown little, even though you brilliantly pass the challenges. Isn’t it upsetting?

— This fact saddens me greatly. I went on the show «Titans» with the mindset to show curling in all its beauty and strength. I want viewers to be left with the impression after my participation that Russian curling is not only beautiful but strong. Especially women’s curling. But it turns out that it’s not always clear who I am and why I’m there.

— What was the most difficult part during filming?

— The most difficult part is waiting for the challenge when you don’t know what’s ahead. All the people going for additional tests are very nervous. Most of them are professional athletes and stay alone, silently preparing. We don’t know when we’ll go for the challenge or when to warm up. And when you’re already down in the coliseum, your heart beats so fast that you can’t remember who you are or how to warm up.

— What do you do in your free time? Do you like cooking or going to the movies? What are your hobbies besides sports?

— I love cooking for my husband and family. My hobby is baking. I really enjoy baking cakes and trying new recipes from different cuisines. Besides cooking, I love eating out! My inspiration often comes from my own imagination; I draw illustrations on a graphics tablet. After all, drawing remains in my blood, even though curling separated us. I don’t like going to the movies often, but it’s cooler to watch big premieres in the theater! My husband and I prefer eating out together, though you wouldn’t guess it from me.

I also love traveling, and I enjoy being on the road. As a child, we drove with my dad to Novosibirsk and Bashkortostan. And my sister and I were sent to camps at resorts before. From Nizhnevartovsk, the group traveled by train for four days. That’s where my love for long journeys came from.

Besides sports, I’m studying in the field of Physical Rehabilitation. I have 1.5 years left, and I’ll become a specialist. I consider this field very in demand in Russia, which is why I chose it. I enjoy studying medicine and learning about modern technologies used on athletes.

— What do you dream about?

— I believe a dream is something extremely difficult to achieve on your own and not always realistic. For example, my big dream is the health of my relatives and loved ones. Everything else I consider goals. I’ve trained myself to set big goals (for 3–5 years) and small goals (for a month to a year). Thus, my current big goal is to do everything possible to help build a curling rink in Nizhnevartovsk.

My idea is to create a universal arena where there would be not only curling but also, for example, speed skating or figure skating. Additionally, I plan to ensure that the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug curling federation becomes accredited, and I can coach children who will become national champions. People with Siberian character are very talented and can achieve this quickly.