Anna Balashova

At the moment she is the only lady in the UMMC Sambo Club (Verkhnyaya Pyshma). She joined the club in 2020 as a distinguished and established athlete with the title of Merited Master of Sports, who has repeatedly won the World and European championships. She demonstrated her highest class right away, winning the Russian Cup in the fall of 2020 under the banners of UMMC.

A trainee of famous Krasnokamsk school of Olympic reserve in sambo and judo (Perm Region) and of legendary coach Vasily Troyanovich Perchik, she started practicing martial arts at the age of 19, very late by today's standards. At first it was freestyle wrestling, and a year later she switched to sambo and judo. Many advised against her from beginning a career in these sports, “they say it's too late, not the right age”, but, as Anna admits, “natural gifts and previous experience helped”. After all, she had previously played tennis and basketball. The result exceeded all expectations. Three months later, Balashova had already become a master of sports in freestyle wrestling, about her success in sambo, you can judge by her long record.

– Everyone has the right to play whatever sport they want, - Anna believes. - Many women achieve great success even in tough sports. That's why there's a place for girls everywhere. Sometimes I've been told that "it's not a woman's thing" to put women on their backs, but everyone has their own goals in life. Any sport, no matter how tough it is, develops the body and the spirit. Look at our female sambo wrestlers! All of them are very beautiful and well-educated. And for that matter, we can cook borshch too!”  This is a quote from her interview with weekly newspaper "Weekly facts".

Prefers an active lifestyle, spends her spare time with friends. She is fond of snowboarding, and actively involves all her acquaintances. As a child she learned to play the piano.

She is a member of the Special Forces "Medved" of the State Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Perm Territory.

Landmark achievements

• World Champion (2012, 2014, 2015) 
• World Vice-Champion (2013, 2016, 2018) 
• European Champion (2012, 2013) 
• Russian Champion (2012-2016, 2018)