We all probably know that the origins of women’s day, 8 March go back to the protest by seamstresses in New York in 1857. But did you know that Bulgaria is one of the first countries to have started marking it as the day of women – in 1911, just one year after it was officially declared as such? Now, more than one hundred years later employers around the world continue to be less generous to female as they are to male labour. But there are things Bulgaria can feel proud of, like the country’s second place in the EU in the number of female researchers and engineers.

Women in this country have no hesitation to prove wrong the Bulgarian proverb that says you cannot carry two melons under one arm, combining a successful career with all other female roles in life, like being good mothers and wives. But how valid then is the theory that men and women are the two halves of one whole?

This is the question we put to Diana Hristova, combined gymnastics instructor:

“That is a theory that has survived through the ages, though now things are not the same, as women are successful, almost as successful as men and sometimes even more so. This has changed relations between the two sexes. We seem to have forgotten some of the romantic moments, but that is something we, women are responsible for.”

Yet, she believes that even though modern life offers a host of challenges, women in Bulgaria have kept the fire of their charm going: “Any woman holds a fascination of her own and that is a good thing – that we are all different,” says Diana. She adds that the secret of a woman’s successful career is to choose a profession that will make her happy. What makes her happy is sport. And as she says, it all started in her childhood:

“When I was a little girl I spent 8 years doing classical and modern ballet, but then I stopped. Later I went to different sports halls to choose a sport and I opted for combined gymnastics. To my mind it is a wonderful sport for women, it shapes the body but is not tiring. I underwent training and now I am an instructor. A year ago colleagues from Italy paid us a visit. They brought a new style to Bulgaria – super jump. They trained us, we obtained the certificates necessary and we included this style in our classes.”

“Super jump is a great way to work out,” Diana goes on to say. “It is done on a trampoline and combines dance movements with jumping which models the figure very quickly. It is not the kind of exercise that builds muscles, it burns fat quickly which means it is also suitable for people with a weight problem. And it is so much fun. I can see it on the faces of the people in the gym after working out.”

As the saying goes: what goes around comes around and Diana gives everything of herself:

“My aim is to offer them high-quality workouts. When they leave the gym, I want them to feel happy, trim and energized. I put a lot of effort into what I am doing and try to work with all groups of muscles. What I want is for people to take a look at themselves in the mirror and see the results of the workout.”

What mistakes do women make that affect the way they look?

“There are two big mistakes. One is nutrition – drastic diets or taking appetite suppression pills. Nutrition is highly individual because we all have a different kind of metabolism. After the age of 40 the metabolism slows down and we have to cut down on carbohydrates and be careful what we eat. But I think there is another way – it is not so much cutting down on food as working out more. The more we work out, the more we can afford to eat,” says Diana.

“My wish to women on this day, March 8, is to be themselves and to believe in themselves. And to have fun!”

English version: Milena Daynova