Dedicated to Tim Bekshentaev

By the way of helping fellow countrymen, volunteers who want to help gratuitously compatriots, are not only in the villages but also in the cities. In 2016 in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk a unique sports ground was opened for practicing extreme sports. More recently, the emergence of such a complex of local youth could only dream of.

 Now every year there is held open Republican skateboarding and BMX Tournament. Also, this site is open for any sports events in the city, including for children with disabilities. Owners and initiators of this playground are Bekshentaevs family that 2 years ago, has experienced a great tragedy.

 Dedicated to Tim Bekshentaev

 Tim Bekshentaev was 15 years old when he successfully qualified for «FLEX» exchange programs for high school and went to study in America. The young man knew the English language well, thanks to which he was sent to an annual training in Wisconsin. Tim's mom says that from childhood he was very active, loved extreme sports, studied languages, was the soul of any company.

 - My youngest son had a dream about a sports ground for children, where one could freely exercise. He is very fond of skateboarding, BMX-riding and other forms of extreme sports since childhood. He kept saying that the city can not find a decent place for skiing and asked his father to build this platform, "Well, Dad, do, please, but at least some figures, will construct by yourself." That is, he always asked us about it. Well, of course, we never listen to our children, we think that this is another pranks ... ".

 The last birthday of Tim was already there, over the ocean. After a while, relatives received terrible news. In February 2015, a young student died in a car accident when he was driving with friends for training. The driver of the car, in which Tim and two of his American friends, failed to manage, as a result of which they flew off the track and crashed into a tree.

 - In America, Tim, besides studying, was engaged in hockey. I did not know that the children got to the training site independently. There were three of them in the car. The driver was a classmate of Tim. Later it was found out that the car was in unsatisfactory condition, it did not have winter rubber. That day was the ice ... All remained alive, except for Tim ...

 The idea in memory of Tim to build a skate park first came to his older brother's head. Irina Bekshentaeva says that this the idea subsequently helped her to find the strength and to survive this difficult time.

- First, we started to walk on the decision-making bodies, appealed to the city administration to allocate land for us for the playground, wrote letters, we want to make such a gift to the city. It took a very long time, almost half a year, I paced for a variety of organizations. But the feedback has not been received. Then it dawned on me why not go to Tim's homeschool and not ask me to give me a site for construction. I had been carrying this idea for a week and finally, I came to the director Nikiforova Galina Alekseevna. It is impossible to believe, but she immediately gave me her positive answer. Another month we signed permits from the heads of education.Later we began to build. Further all as in a fog. Now, looking back, I understand that Tim's dream helped our family find the strength to let go of this grief and live on.

 According to Irina Bekshentaeva, site construction cost of a family of 24 million tenge. To realize the dream of his son, the family of Bekshentaevs sold part of their property.

 - Not only we worked on the site, familiar persons, relatives, friends, volunteers also helped. Everyone contributed, some organizations of the city even gave us cement and several machines for gravel and sand. Further, a large contribution to the building has made the company "Kazzinc".  That's how we raised the money.

 The bulk of the funds invested in the project – by the family of Bekshentaevs. Significant financial assistance allocated for the purchase of equipment for the skate park   Mining Company "Kazzinc", some of the volunteers have invested.

 Now the charity has become the business of Tim's family life. Irina has created a public fund and now already 2 years holds skateboarding and BMX tournament. The woman handed the right to free exploitation of playground to school in which her son studied. And all the repair work of the facility every summer is conducted by itself along with the volunteers. Also, her foundation this year in Ust-Kamenogorsk was built a shelter for homeless animals. It is noteworthy that   BMX - Freestyle became an Olympic sport. A decision on its inclusion in the program of the Olympic Games 2020   was adopted at an extraordinary meeting of the IOC Executive Committee in Lausanne in June this year.

The Article by Asyl Aydar

Translated by AkhanTuleshov

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