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Marija Matić is a certified ISIA ski instructor, a former member of the Serbian national ski team, the owner of the MM ski-sport ski and snowboard school and the founder of MM Ski Club. We talked to her about skiing, education, obstacles and plans…
Q: How do you like to introduce yourself?
– I am someone with more than 45 years of experience on skis. From the first day I stood on skis, I never got off them. I ski all year round, summer and winter. In practice I spend 180 days a year on skis, but I am devoted to skiing all 12 months of the year, because skiing is my life. Skiing is my PASSION.
Q: Where does such an interest in skiing come from, and how was the passion born?
– I come from a skiing family: my father was a ski instructor, my brother was a racer and is now the coach of the Cyprus national ski team. They passed their love of skiing on to me, the passion was born when I was very young, and I knew what I would be when I grew up.
Q: You have shared your passion with others – above all with children through your ski school. What is your “recipe” for working successfully with such a sensitive group?
– I divided my passion for skiing into two parts to meet children's needs. In the first, I pass on my love and knowledge to children who are just learning to ski. The second is racing, where I share the fate of young racers, because I was one myself and still am.
Q: What is your recipe for passing on knowledge successfully?
– I try to pass on my knowledge and share my experience, and to teach children important values such as perseverance, self-discipline, self-control and overcoming obstacles. What matters most to me is helping to strengthen and develop the character of each individual child.
Q: Do you know how many children you have worked with so far?
– So far in my career as an instructor I have managed to pass on my knowledge and teach more than 1,800 children to ski. The Club itself now has 18 racers, most of them my former pupils.
Q: How did your career develop?
– As throughout my whole life, in building up the ski school I faced many obstacles, even sabotage (the first association people had with the school's name MM was “Malo Morgen”, roughly “a bit of a joke”). But I deeply believe I overcame all those obstacles precisely because I am a competitor at heart, because I have such a strong passion for skiing and because I don't see my work as just another business project.
Q: Have you ever thought about giving up?
– Not for a single moment did I even think about giving up, and that only gave me even more strength to fight, keep going and finally get to where I am now.
Q: Have you had to sacrifice anything for your career, and do you regret it?
– Even during my racing career there were many sacrifices, both mine and my family's. To achieve certain results and maintain a certain quality, you have to work very hard, be resourceful and, of course, make sacrifices.
Every year I spend a lot of time in the car and drive at least 30,000 kilometres. I put a lot of effort into getting quality equipment and props and attend ski school organisation seminars in Austria, but I have never for a moment been sorry or regretted any sacrifice I had to make.
Q: And finally: what are your plans for the future?
– My plans never end, and my goals for the future are much bigger than what I am doing now. I don't want to reveal too much yet, but my wish is to finally bring skiing to Belgrade.
See also: About us, Instructors
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