Oleksandr Shvachka lost his left leg while defending his country, Ukraine. That was three years ago. What is Mr. Shvachka doing now? Learning to ski!
He practices under a blue sky on a snow-covered mountain. He’s more than 5,000 miles from home.
Five Ukrainian veterans traveled to Oregon this month for ski lessons. Two Ukrainian ski coaches came too. They’re working with Oregon Adaptive Sports. That organization helps people with disabilities participate in sports.
Mr. Shvachka listens carefully to an instructor. Then he launches himself down a slope. He leans on two hand-held “outriggers.” These look like crutches with short skis at the ends. He turns. He speeds up. He leans on the outriggers for balance.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Mr. Shvachka was wounded about a month later.
He says skiing on the mountain is “amazing.”
“It’s a new experience, and I’m so happy,” he says.
Why are the Ukrainians skiing in Oregon? Corvallis, Oregon, and Uzhhorod, Ukraine, are sister cities. They have been for over 30 years. (Sister cities choose to connect to one another to try to understand different cultures. The leaders of sister cities agree to share information about ideas, customs, business and trade practices, art, and more. Does your city have a sister city? It would be worth finding out.)
What’s the goal of the ski project? Help veterans get healthier in body and mind. Teach Ukrainian ski coaches how to use the adaptive ski equipment. Then they can share the knowledge with other veterans in Ukraine.
The country has thousands of amputees. But it seems nothing slows them down. In 2023, Mr. Shvachka ran a 10K race with his prosthetic leg. That was in Washington, D.C. He also competed with other Ukrainian amputees in a fitness and body-building competition. The eight veterans used ropes to pull four semitruck cabs over 65 feet. The trucks weighed 35 tons!
After their ski lessons, the Ukrainian veterans and ski instructors will return home to Ukraine. They’ll take outriggers along.
Suffering produces endurance. — Romans 5:3
