At just eight years of age, Andrea Kotsinova received her first snowboard and started practicing in her living room. For about a week, she would turn between the furniture, unintentionally announcing her new passion to the neighbours below.
Andrea’s first experience on the mountain was at Vitosha, and her most recent took her to Folgaria, Italy, where she competed at a professional level. Today, we sit down with Andrea, a first-year student at AUBG, to learn how her talent is positioning Bulgaria firmly on the map of winter sports, all while balancing her studies and varied interests.
A multi-sport talent
Andrea’s passion for snowboarding began after watching Alexandra Zhekova at a world championship competition. “At the time, I was only six and wanted to start right away,” Andrea recalls. “But I was too small, so I had to wait.”
Andrea has explored a wide range of sports, including gymnastics, swimming, skiing, and tennis. “To this day, I continue training track and field with Tereza Marinova, our Olympics champion.” She uses it primarily for conditioning, yet still managed to rank among the top six competitors in Bulgaria.
Dance was also a major part of her life. As part of Dance Station, she trained in hip-hop and achieved both world and vice-world champion titles. Eventually, she made the decision to step away, recognizing that balancing dance and snowboarding at a high level was unsustainable.
All of these different sports have contributed to her development as a snowboarder. She started skiing at the age of two, which she believes helped her a lot. “The two sports are complimentary,” shares Andrea.
From first turns to international podiums
Within just a few years, Andrea mastered snowboarding, joining the youth national team and later becoming part of the women’s national team. Her first competition was in January 2016, where she placed first. Today, she is a multiple national champion in two disciplines.
In 2023, Andrea was the only Bulgarian to compete in two disciplines at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Italy, returning home with both a silver and a bronze medal.
Her momentum continued into 2024, when she represented Bulgaria at the Youth Winter Olympics in South Korea. There, she placed second in the qualification round and finished eighth overall. This marked the country’s strongest performances in the discipline.
Representing AUBG at a national competition
In March this year, Andra competed in the snowboard giant slalom category at the National Winter University Games in Pamporovo, earning a gold medal.
“I’m happy for the success of the university and to bring it into a new field it hasn’t been represented in before,” she shares.
Boyan Tenev, Sports Coordinator at AUBG, commented on Andrea’s success and what this means for the university:
“We’re directing more and more efforts to support our students in sports and to give them the opportunity to showcase their talents and compete.”
Standing on the winning podium, Andrea embraced the other medallists, and their team spirit was clearly visible. “We’re all very close friends on the slopes,” she says. “We’re competitors only for a few minutes.”
The art of discipline
Andrea’s success doesn’t come from talent alone. It requires impeccable discipline and dedication, which she has cultivated since a young age.
“My parents have given me enough basis to handle pressure and manage my time. Yes, balancing studies, sports, and other activities is intensive at times, but it is not critical for me,” she shares.
For Andrea, the snowboarding season begins in September with training on an indoor simulator. The team then travels to Austria, followed by a month of training in Italy, before competitions begin in mid-December. They return to Bulgaria for several months of training at Bansko, where they are provided with optimal conditions. March and April are mainly dedicated to competitions around the world.
At the same time, Andrea is a student. Her high school routine, however, was far from typical. She had school in the morning, English lessons in the afternoon, and training in the evening. Weekends were spent on the slopes of Vitosha, Borovets, or Bansko. “Everything was by the clock,” she says.
Community and the future
Now nearing the end of her first year at AUBG, Andrea already has a clear vision for her future. “I’ve decided to major in Business Administration and Journalism and Mass Communications,” she says. Her aim is to enter FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) in a management role, so that she remains close to the sport.
Snowboarding has given Andrea a strong sense of belonging. “In Bulgaria, we’re a small community, no more than 100 women,” she shares. When she started, there were three times fewer. “It has become much more popular,” Andrea notes.
As winter sports in Bulgaria continue to grow, it’s truly inspiring to see young athletes like Andrea leading the way. This is testament that AUBG students not only thrive in academics, but also position themselves in sports, which are equally important.
