How I Achieved Global Recognition at the Age of 16

So, my story begins in a small rural town in the South of Russia. I was born and grew up in Orenburg.

Unfortunately, the first years after my birth were accompanied by significant difficulties for my parents. Right after my first birthday, I got closed in the bathroom.

My parents tried to make various attempts to get me out of there but to no avail. Then, I made my own attempt, which changed my life forever…

I, like a stupid boy, trying to open the door, put my hand right in the door slot, just at the moment when my father was finally able to open the door.

I think you all already guessed what happened next, right? Hospitals, bandagings, hospitals, flights to other cities for surgery, hospitals…

Now you might already ask me, why do you tell us this? Please, keep patient. This is just a beginning of a story.

I am very thankful to my parents that they didn’t leave me to my fate. It cost them significant material, physical, and even moral expenses, I know.

So, when I was at a reasonable age, I decided that I will do everything to pay off my parents. Next, during my first years at school, I was ill often, so my parents made me go skating.

As I remember, it never was my passion, but I was afraid that my parents would be upset if I tell them that I hate doing it. So it took me over 5 years to learn how to tell the bitter truth to my parents.

Then, on my 7th birthday, I got a very interesting presentation. That was a new Lego Mindstorms ev3. I think when I opened it up and connected the first two pieces of lego, appeared my passion for robotics.

After finishing skating, I persuaded my mom to let me go to the robotics club that hosted on the only technical university in my town. I was the youngest there.

There were some children that are older and constantly bullied me from behind my hand. I tried not to pay attention, but sometimes emotions took over, and then I started to fight. During one of such fights, I came out with my dream, to build a prosthesis for my hand.

Since then, I started working out, learning, learning, and learning everything about robotics. I remember how I loved that place, I stayed there until midnight. I am even unable to convey in words how I was passionate about building and programming something.

When I finished my 7th grade at school, I went through a state robotics competition, where I became an absolute winner. After the national stage was waiting for me, I and my team were the top 10 in the nation. And as a qualifying task for the qualification tour to the Worlds, we had to do 3 extra tasks.

I have successfully passed them, however, during the qualification round I was unable to do some kind of algorithmic tasks, so all my work was wasted. I was really upset.

This loss motivated me to learn more. I understood that my town was unable to give me something new, so I decided to pass the exams to the top 10 schools in the nation that were very famous for their robotics program.

The name of my school is IT-Lyceum KPFU. Then, I took 1 year off, to learn some basics of a new platform and to master my python skills.

So, this year, my teammate Vlad and I both participated in the National Robotics Olympiad (IRO) in one team. Our passion for new technologies and robotics led us to unconditional victory on the National level and then on International.

Now looking back, I can exactly say what was the main difference between me and other adult children that attended that university club. That was my passion.

I considered robotics as a mission that was given to me by God through a hand. And today I think more and more that maybe that accident with my hand wasn’t a random event.

Maybe it was a sign that I had to recognize as my mission on this planet? I promise, that in the nearest years, I will help the same people as I am, because I really want to make my wish from that fight come true.