Her Russian fans are ready to carry her in their arms, but not simply because of her wins, outstanding races and emotionally charged interviews. They’re prepared to do this not only because of her charm and magnetic appeal, but for the heart-felt tears she cries after a bitter defeat and the honest evaluations she gives of both her opponents’ and teammates’ performances. She can’t help it. She lives for the biathlon and puts her heart and soul into all the sports she tries. She burst onto the worldwide sport scene almost unexpectedly, going from a junior athlete losing hope in her chances of making it big into a first-degree champion. She won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Vancouver and took first place in both the world and Russian championships. At the young age of 20, Svetlana has become a real team leader. In general, it’s rare for the public to be able to catch a glimpse what an athlete is really like, who they are as a person, especially when they’re famous. They tend to keep their private lives out of the public eye. Svetlana Sleptsova, however, has proven before that she’s not like the rest and does it yet again by opening up to RTG TV viewers about herself, her family and those close her, as well as about her dreams and what she hopes to get out of life.