Olga Dolinina grew up as an only child in Ukraine. She loved the adventure of being outside – climbing trees, playing catch, and kicking the football. As a result, she learned many valuable lessons and insights that continue to serve her well today. “Playing with the boys, I learned to compete. I never received any special privileges. I had to make my own way. From this, I learned quickly how to make it in a male’s world.”

While at university, Olga studied psychology while also becoming the first press officer for the regional Football Federation of Ukraine and working as a part-time sports journalist at Komanda, the All-Ukrainian Sports Newspaper.

Currently an Education Officer with UNICEF, Olga is also one of the only women working in the field of sports administration in Ukraine, and she is one of only a handful of women employed by the prestigious Donbass Hockey Club in Donestsk. In 2017, she launched her nonprofit organization, Break The Ice, which uses hockey as a tool to promote positive social change and peacebuilding in communities affected by social tension and military conflict in Ukraine.