Interview with Maria Sharapova

Russia Today: What will be some of your duties in your new role, as the Ambassador  for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games?

Maria Sharapova:  Well, I think I am going to raise awareness of the city. The next stage is going be very crucial for the election.  I am definitely going to travel around the world in the next few weeks to let people know what an amazing city Sochi is. And I am very proud of  where I am from. I lived there for five years from the age of 2 to 7,  and I moved because I could not get any training facilities during the winter, and because of my career. I think this is going help so many athletes especially  in winter sports, and  definitely bring a great legacy to our country.

RT: Maria, as you mentioned, you have a very close connection to Sochi, you have grown up there, and learning to play tennis there – what do you think makes Sochi such an ideal city to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games? 

M.S.:It is an incredible city, it is beautiful. I think a lot of athletes will find it pretty interesting. After they can go down, down, a slope they can drive for an hour  – and jump into the Black Sea. And there are so many things to do – to see a younger crowd, many restaurants,  music, the circus. That was my favourite place when I was growing up. And definitely there is something to see. 

RT: This year you were named the UN Developmental  Programme Goodwill Ambassador. What will be some of the focus of your work with that programme?

M.S.: That is the Chernobyl part. I opened my foundation last August  and  it is meant towards helping kids -  basically helping them realise that crazy dreams are possible, especially for kids who don