A father captured by an invading army, an apartment struck by enemy fire, a wife and young child sheltering from Russian bombs during a gold medal call – Ukraine’s Paralympians continue to show the world what it means to overcome.
If there’s one thing the world has realized about Ukraine in the first two weeks of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war on Ukraine – it’s that Ukrainians are strong.
And Ukraine’s Paralympians are showing that strength in spades at Beijing 2022.
As of March 10 Ukraine had won 19 medals, including six gold, sitting in second place in the Beijing 2022 Paralympic medal table, with athletes having to deal with horror stories of war back home.
Kharkiv’s Anastasiia Laletina was forced to withdraw from an event after hearing that her father had been apparently captured by Russia’s occupying forces.
Pushing her personal trauma aside – and surprising everyone in a moment of true inspiration – Laletina suited up to compete the very next day, finishing in 15th place out of 18 in the cross-country sprint event.
Laletina wasn’t the only Ukrainian athlete dealing with disturbing news from back home.
Dmytro Suiarko discovered his apartment had been hit the day before, at about the same time he was winning his bronze medal in biathlon.
“It could have been worse”, he told the Kyiv Post the next day. “It was the second floor that was hit. I live on the 10th floor of the building.”
“They Were Hiding in the Basement”
When athletes ascend to the top of their sport by winning a Paralympic title, normally there are smiles, laughter, and maybe even tears of joy.
They shouldn’t be forced to use their platforms to plead for peace.
Ukraine’s Paralympic champions remain stoic when receiving their gold medals, rarely cracking a smile, and usually dismissing reporter’s questions about sport in lieu of speaking about the war back home.
“Our country is being bombed – grandmothers, children, hospitals”, Oksana Shyshkova told the Kyiv Post shortly after winning her fourth medal of Beijing 2022.
“We implore our partners – Europe, the United States, Great Britain – please close our skies!“
Shyshkova competes in categories for visually impaired athletes alongside guide Andriy Marchenko, who lives in Sumy. Guides are awarded medals alongside their athletes.
Oksana Shyshkova and guide Andriy Marchenko have been outspoken about Russia's war on Ukraine - and have plenty of chances to do so after winning 2 gold and 2 silver medals. (Kyiv Post)
Marchenko was incensed while recounting his experience of calling his family to tell them of the first gold medal he had won with Shyshkova.
“They were hiding in the basement”, he told the Kyiv Post. “I could hear the bombs going off around them.”
Ukraine Strong
Still, Ukraine’s Para athletes have excelled in Beijing.
Iryna Bui and Vitaliy Lukyanenko became Ukraine’s latest Paralympic champions after topping the field in the Women’s Middle Distance Standing and Men’s Middle Distance biathlon events, respectively.
Vitaliy Lukyanenko, fourth from left, became Ukraine’s latest Paralympic champions after topping the field in the Men’s Middle Distance biathlon events (Photo Credit: Kyiv Post)
It was the first Paralympic title for Bui but the eighth Paralympic title for the 43-year-old Lukyanenko, who has competed at every Winter Paralympic Games since Nagano 1998.
When asked by the Kyiv Post if he had it in him to keep competing until Milan 2026, he answered “No” before the entire team fell into laughter.
“He’s been saying that since Torino 2006”, said Ukrainian National Paralympic Committee spokeswoman Nataliia Harach, noting that he’s won gold at every event since.
Still, the moment of lightheartedness stood out. The international press was astounded to see the Ukrainian athletes in a brief moment of normalcy.
The team’s success is a testament to its mental strength, which they must show every, single day on the field of play.
They keep soldiering on, using their time in the international spotlight to serve as soldiers on the information front.
Shyshkova makes sure to answer every reporter’s questions, taking time to remind them of what is happening back home and who is to blame.
Citing two children that had died in bombing the day before, she told the Kyiv Post,
“That Putin – he can go to hell“
