Olena Kolesnyk: “If God helps me, and God is with me, I don’t know what can stop me”
With her home country of Ukraine currently at war with Russia, PFL Lightweight, Olena Kolesnyk bravely marches forward in her pursuit of a better life. As the PFL 2022 season for the lightweight females moves forward, Kolesnyk now has a new target in her sights set for July 1st
Kolesnyk will be eagerly making her return to the cage when she takes on Vanessa Melo at PFL 6, going down on Friday, July 1st at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, GA. This fight serves as a regular-season bout, with Kolesnyk looking to continue climbing the rankings with a dominant win, as she’s currently ranked 4th in the season at 1-0, to Melo’s 0-1.
Although the female lightweight prospect is overly excited to continue her endeavor toward a million-dollar grand prize, Kolesnyk often battles her emotions after the gym doors close and she returns to her home away from home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The gym, my training, my preparation for the fights…Everything all together keeps my mind strong; you know? And when I’m training and I prepare myself, I feel very happy,” Kolesnyk explains. “But when I come home, the place where I stay now. All of my dark thoughts, all of my anxieties about my family, everything is back. So, it’s not easy,” she affirms. “I’m just happy to speak with them every day and know they’re alive,” Kolesnyk says. “And from my side, I’ll do all I can to save their life.”
With a heavy heart yearning for her country, Kolesnyk knows she has an important fight quickly approaching, as well as a tough competitor to prepare for. Channeling all of her energy and confidence needed to fulfill her dreams, Kolesnyk clearly knows her advantage as she continues moving forward in the 2022 season. “I think my motivation is much bigger than the other girls,” she says with an unquestionable laugh, referring to uprooting her life for a greater cause. “Most of them (other female lightweights competing this season) are from here (U.S.A) and have a great life. They did not come there with one bag with a couple of trousers and left their family at home,” she defends. “I am hungry! I am hungry for fights. I am hungry for money, for food! I am hungry for entertainment. I am hungry as hell! That’s what wakes me up at 6 am, Kolesnyk ambitiously confesses.
“If God helps me, and God is with me, I don’t know what can stop me.”
Tune in below as the prospering Ukrainian female lightweight, Olena Kolesnyk joins MyMMANews.com to discuss leaving Ukraine in the middle of a war zone to continue fighting. Kolesnyk details her family giving their blessing and full support as she continues her climb in the PFL 2022 female lightweight season.
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