Yulia and Isaiah
A hard-working single mom
Yulia Aleksenko is a single mother from Russia living in the CNMI. Raising her son Isaiah alone has not been easy. As a single parent, she has had to balance her job with taking care of Isaiah.
“The biggest challenge is balancing work and my son,” Yulia says. “I used to work at PIC. I had to work hard to make Isaiah’s swimming practice schedule work with my job. For a long time, I used my lunch break to drop off and pick up Isaiah from practice. I don’t know how I did it all.”
A son’s swimming talent
Isaiah Aleksenko in Honiara-Solomon Islands Pacific Games in 2023
When Isaiah was young, Yulia just wanted him to have an after-school sport to stay active. But his swim coaches quickly saw he had an amazing natural talent for swimming. Yulia realized she needed to support Isaiah’s special abilities.
“At first, I just wanted Isaiah to have a sport after school,” Yulia explains. “But when he started training, the coaches saw he was incredibly talented. From his practice, I could also see he had a gift for swimming that could be developed.”
From that point on, Yulia devoted her time and energy to encouraging and enabling Isaiah’s swimming. “I provide all of his needs, and I devote my time to supporting him, meeting with coaches and others involved. My job is to encourage him.”
Overcoming obstacles
Yulia and Isaiah
There were times when the challenges seemed insurmountable. When Isaiah was five years old, he wanted to quit swimming lessons. Yulia used a creative approach to keeping him motivated.
“When he was five, Isaiah wanted to stop swimming lessons,” Yulia recalls. “What I did was learn how to swim myself, even though I was afraid of the water as an adult.”
Yulia joined an adult swimming class through the Red Cross, then took free lessons from coach Emma Perez. “While Isaiah was training, I was learning and training too. I wanted to show Isaiah we could both do it.”
Yulia’s participation proved inspirational for her son. “I even competed in some events, although I’m not a professional swimmer like Isaiah. But having the same activity motivated him to not give up.”
Going the extra mile
Yulia made a habit of going above and beyond to support her son’s swimming pursuits. “I always tell Isaiah not to give up. I may not have much to offer, but I give him that,” she says.
She also volunteered her time to be more involved. “I volunteered as a timekeeper at swim events. I just tried to be involved in all the swimming activities I could.”
For Yulia, the sacrifices were simply part of being a devoted mom. “Each age has different challenges and sacrifices for a parent. But I don’t really see them as sacrifices if it’s for my son. It’s hard, yes, but I’ll do anything for Isaiah.”
Isaiah’s success
Isaiah Aleksenko in Pacific Games
Yulia’s hard work and Isaiah’s talents combined have paid off tremendously. Isaiah is now getting ready to graduate from Marianas High School. He has earned a swimming scholarship to attend Keiser University in Florida next year.
“My proudest moment was when Isaiah performed for the first time at the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia in December 2022,” Yulia beams. “Watching him compete at that level was breathtaking.”
Reaping the rewards
Yulia and Isaiah
For Yulia, the journey of raising her son Isaiah alone has been difficult but rewarding. She has given up a normal schedule, peaceful mealtimes, and personal hobbies. Untold numbers of sacrifices, large and small, have gone into nurturing her son’s talents.
“I try to stay positive as much as I can, and tell myself not to give up on Isaiah,” Yulia says. “My friends and family have been there to help when they can too.”
Looking back, Yulia is immensely proud of what she and Isaiah have accomplished together. Through her perseverance, she has raised a world-class swimmer and a loving son.
“Raising Isaiah alone has been so hard,” Yulia admits. “But I don’t have any regrets. He is going to have an amazing future because of his talent and drive. I’m just so thankful I could support him and keep him going, even when he wanted to quit.”
As Isaiah dives into the next chapter of his swimming journey, Yulia can take pride in watching the rewards of her hard work and sacrifices. She has emerged a winner, having truly raised a champion.
