Almaty half marathon: team spirit and will to win

Deputy Chairman of the Management Board – Chief Engineer of AlES JSC Gaziy Ismukhambetov took the third place in his age group 60+ in the last Almaty Half Marathon! Our congratulations!

It is not the first year that Gaziy Zhumabayevich represents Almaty power engineers in this marathon and always achieves impressive results, infecting younger colleagues with his energy and sporting spirit. The sporting achievements of the leading power engineer, a high-level professional are well known in the team. He participated in the 44th Istanbul Marathon, the world’s only transcontinental race of 42.195 kilometers from Asia to Europe. In his piggy bank of sporting achievements, he won the gold of the Almaty Marathon at a distance of 42.2 kilometers in the age category 60+. And also – the first place in the ultramarathon of Kazakhstan “Tengri Ultra 2023”. Gaziy Zhumabayevich also participated in the swim “Oceanman Kazakhstan” on Kapshagai and in the cycling race Visa Tour of World Class Almaty 2022, Giro d’Almaty 2022.

By participating and winning, he encourages young power engineers to adopt sports habits as well. And the earlier the better, emphasizing that he himself came to it at a mature age, having decided to take up sports for the sake of his own health. Having reached spiritual maturity, I thought about my path, my health, my attitude to the world around me, he admits. He went gradually from simple to complex: physical exercises – swimming – running. When everything started to work out, he began to set new goals for himself according to the principle – “Do No Harm!”.

In the seventh Almaty Half Marathon, on 21 April, about 8,000 people from more than 30 countries came to the start. Among them, apart from Gaziy Ismukhambetov, were 15 employees of ALES JSC. They were part of the team Samruk Kazyna, which united amateur athletes from portfolio companies of NWF.

Now the Company’s athletes, who overcame both the distance and showed a true will to win, have a sea of positive emotions. “Running the 10-kilometre marathon in Almaty as a member of the Samruk Energy youth team was truly an unforgettable experience”, says Sain Sanzhar, Leading Engineer of the Production and Technical Division of the Fuel Preparation and Unloading Shop. – Together with my teammates, we covered every kilometre, supporting each other and being inspired by our common pursuit of the goal.

Almaty, my home city, turned out to be the perfect setting for this marathon! The magnificent mountain scenery, clean air and dynamic atmosphere created the perfect conditions for our sporting feat. This experience not only strengthened our team, but also reinforced my connection with my hometown and its unique energy”.

Bikensulu Mamrayeva, Chief Specialist of the Works and Services Division of AlES JSC, took on such a serious distance for the first time. “It was somehow special beautiful: comfortable way, warm spring day and a lot of positive emotions after the finishing, – Bikensulu shares his impressions. – I thank the organisers of the Almaty Half Marathon for the opportunity to test our strength, show our fortitude and show our unity. It was inspiring to see how everyone covered every kilometre with such enthusiasm. Let’s continue to inspire each other to live healthy lifestyles and constantly develop!”

Asset Amirbekov, Head of Repair Service at CHPP-1, also ran his first 10km marathon for the first time and was pleasantly impressed with his result. “In exactly 1 hour, I overcame the distance with ease”, he says. – And once again I am convinced that the power of the environment and the energy of the fans give a strong impetus to overcome such distances. I fell in love with running and will continue to develop my running technique and prepare for the next marathon. When there is a team of like-minded people it is always easier to develop! Thank you to my colleagues for taking part in this marathon”.

This is the third marathon for Dina Karabalina, Chief Specialist of the HR Division of the HR Department of AlES JSC. She likes everything: the atmosphere, the organization. “Everything is very well, and how many guests from all over the world come to participate, everyone has smiles and joy on their faces, everyone runs, – Dina shares her emotions. – I am glad to be a part of such an event.

Dias Assylbek, Leading Engineer of Production Management Organisation at Energoremont PRC, notes that for him participation in the Almaty Half Marathon as part of the ALES team turned out to be not only a unique sporting experience, but also a great way to unite colleagues in pursuit of a common goal.

“It was incredibly inspiring to see each of us overcome ourselves against all difficulties”, says Diaz. – The organization of the event was top notch and we are proud to have represented our company at such a prestigious event. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in this wonderful event for the inspiration and motivation. Running alongside such wonderful people has been a real pleasure and has led to the formation of lasting bonds and friendships”.

All participants agree that such mass sporting events bring more and more people of different ages to sports, and team participation with colleagues in them serves to strengthen the team spirit in the labour collective. Mutual support, support, and concentration on the main task are irreplaceable qualities not only in sports, but also at work, especially in such a complex industry as power engineering.