Restless ~ Passionate ~ Fearless
Relentless ~ Driven ~ Unapologetic

Occasionally, we meet someone we connect with and feel an instant chemistry. Thank you once more to Paul Patskou for yet another connection for the Passion and Purpose of Ordinary People.

I connected with Alena on many levels, but two had a huge impact on me.

As someone from a family that immigrated to Canada in June 1964, I know what immigrants must go through. Looking in the mirror, it is hard not to feel for those making the same decision. In my case, I was sheltered because I was ten when we moved. My parents did their best to shield me from the aches and pains of the transition to a new country. Additionally, our move was relatively simple, as we had documentation in advance. We travelled in relative comfort, using Egyptair to London, British Rail to Liverpool, and Cunard Lines to cross the Atlantic. When we arrived in Canada, we stayed with my father’s cousin for three months until my parents found another apartment on the same floor. My father and eventually my mother found jobs. My father went back to law school and eventually became a lawyer again, this time in Canada.

In my mind, most people who look at the immigration issue don’t truly understand the magnitude of the decision. Sometimes, it is a move carried out with complete documentation and in an orderly transition from one country to another. Other times, and all too frequently lately, it is driven by turmoil in a home country. Sometimes, it isn’t on a comfortable Cunard line; it is in a dangerous, small, overloaded boat in rough seas.

Another factor - quite often - in a normal life journey is that, without the initiation and resettlement, the best years to accumulate assets and build a financially strong base are from the late twenties to the mid-forties. When that transition happens within that time frame, it creates a significant setback in the accumulation stage, often enough to change the financial outcome for decades. As a result, I truly admire people who, in their prime years, pack up and leave their homeland to move to where they hope there is a better life for themselves and, more importantly, their children.

The other connection is that Alena reminds me of my son; she’s chosen a more challenging career than most. As a female Sports Podcaster with extensive hockey knowledge, she faces numerous roadblocks.

I know this will age me—her challenge is like Ginger Rogers, who did all the same dance moves as Fred Astaire, except backwards and in high heels. It is understandable if you don’t recognize the names; I went back over sixty years to come up with that analogy. Basically, for women, they must do so much more than men to be considered as knowledgeable as men, truth be damned.

It is her indomitable spirit that has made me a fan. Once you read her answers, you will be as well.

At some point, you reached a fork in the road. At that time, it didn’t feel like it, but looking back, you realize it was a big moment. One that changed your life. Describe yours.

At the time, it felt like just another move. Looking back, it was the moment my life changed. When I bought a one-way ticket to Toronto after selling my car for €2,000, I didn’t fully grasp how big a turning point it was. I had already moved from Russia to England, then to Ireland, chasing something I couldn’t quite name. I felt restless, like I didn’t fit anywhere. Moving to Canada wasn’t some master plan. It was instinct. Survival. Curiosity.

Walking into my first Maple Leafs game as a newcomer, rather than as a child watching hockey with her dad, was the fork in the road I didn’t recognize at the time. The sound of skates on the ice, the crack of the puck, the energy in the arena — it felt like something inside me clicked back into place. It brought me home in a way geography never could.

That night made me realize hockey wasn’t just nostalgia. It was an identity. It was for a purpose. It was the one constant thread through every country, every risk, every version of myself. That moment didn’t just reconnect me to my childhood — it showed me where I belong. It opened a path I hadn’t originally planned, but one that finally made sense. The sports world wasn’t something I stumbled into. It was something I had been circling my entire life.

What has been your biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest challenge has been finding a place for myself in hockey as a woman who doesn’t fit the traditional mould. From the outside, people think talking about sports is simple — you just watch the games and give opinions. But the reality is much tougher. Hockey is still a very guarded space. If you’re a woman, especially one with an accent, strong opinions, and visible confidence, you’re often questioned before you’re even heard.

I’ve been called a puck bunny. I’ve been told I don’t know enough. I’ve felt pressure to tone myself down, to be less passionate, less outspoken, less “too much.” There’s competition not only from men who underestimate you but sometimes from women who see you as a threat instead of an ally. It can feel isolating.

What helped me overcome it was refusing to shrink. I decided my voice matters, even if not everyone likes it. I leaned into my passion instead of apologizing for it. I created my own platform, podcast, and space where I don’t need permission to speak. I’m still climbing, still learning, still fighting for my spot — but I’m no longer waiting to be accepted. I belong in this world, and I’m building my place in it, step by step.

What is one gem you learned on your journey that you would love to share? Alternatively, what hint would you give a younger version of yourself?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is this: discomfort is often the doorway to your real life. Every time I felt lost, rejected, out of place, or like everything was falling apart, life was pushing me somewhere better. At the time, it never felt that way. It felt unfair. It felt lonely. It felt like I was behind everyone else. But looking back, every closed door redirected me toward something more aligned with who I truly am.

For years, I searched for my calling outside of myself — in relationships, in countries, in jobs, and in others’ validation. What I didn’t realize was that the answer was always in what made me feel alive. Hockey did that. Passion did that. Using my voice did that. The lesson is this: pay attention to what makes your heartbeat faster in a good way. That’s your compass.

People will question you. They will misunderstand you. They may even try to shrink you because your ambition makes them uncomfortable. Let them. Your job is not to be digestible. It is to be authentic. If I could tell my younger self anything, it would be this: stop doubting yourself so much. You are not lost — you are becoming. Trust your instincts. Take the risk. Move countries. Start the podcast. Speak the hot take. You are not behind. You are building. And one day, it will all make sense.

You can reach Alena through her linktr.ee:

https://linktr.ee/Alenasycheva

The Essence of Alena Sycheva

Restless ~ Passionate ~ Fearless

Relentless ~ Driven ~ Unapologetic

The Essence of Richard Bendell