Yana Drozd, the head of the spare parts and fuel warehouse at the Chernihiv cluster of Agro-Region Group, became the European Champion in the 70 kg weight category in the 16 kg kettlebell snatch and long cycle disciplines. She also took first place in the kettlebell sport half marathon (30-minute snatch).

Moreover, Yana was named Best Female Athlete at the IGSF Open European Championship 2025 in Serbia and met the qualification standard for Master of Sports of Ukraine.

“I got into this sport by accident,” Yana shares. “The Hetman kettlebell team from the Borzna community needed more women on the team. I was recommended, but I hesitated for about two months before going to training. Eventually, curiosity won—I gave it a try and immediately went to the Chernihiv regional championship, where I took first place and showed solid technique.”

Since then, her training routine became regular. The feeling of being part of a team and the discipline of the sport encouraged her to grow and aim higher, eventually reaching the podium at national championships.

“This was my first international tournament. I’d had invitations before, but without state funding, the costs were too high. Agro-Region supported me both financially and morally—they even bought t-shirts for the whole Ukrainian delegation. My colleagues wrote to me, called, cheered me on—it was incredibly inspiring. That support gave me strength. I pushed aside all doubts and focused on the exercises, performing almost without rest. I think it even shocked the Europeans a bit,” Yana recalls with a smile.

Yana has been in the sport for just two years, but she’s been with Agro-Region since 2016, working in an all-male team. She says the secret to a well-functioning team is discipline and mutual support.

“Agro-Region feels like a second family. When I started in this ‘men’s’ position, I worried I wouldn’t manage all the nuts and bolts. But now, we have over 1,000 spare parts in the warehouse, and I can tell you from memory where each part is and what machine it’s for. It’s all thanks to a healthy work atmosphere and a constant drive to do better,” she concludes.

The Agro-Region Group team warmly congratulates Yana on her achievements and wishes her continued growth and the courage to keep moving forward—no matter what challenges stand in the way of her dreams.