Oleksandra Pascal, gymnast
🦿 Sasha Pascal, an 8-year-old Ukrainian gymnast, lost her leg in a Russian attack in Odesa in 2022 but refuses to give up on her dream.
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🤸♀️ Training five times a week with a prosthetic leg, her goal is to compete in the Olympic Games and become a gymnastics coach! 💪
🇺🇦 Sasha Pascal was a guest at the Ukrainian Olympic House, VoliaSpace, alongside her mother, to share her incredibly inspiring story. The Minister for Europe, Jean-Noël Barrot, and the Ukrainian Ambassador to France, Vadym Omelchenko, met her to express their admiration and support.
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Yana Stepanenko, marathon runner
🇺🇦 Yana Stepanenko, 13, lost both her feet in April 2022 during a Russian attack on Kramatorsk.
🏃♀️ In 2023, she ran a 5 km race at the Boston Marathon to raise funds for prosthetics for veterans.
Her dream? To become a professional athlete!
🙌 Yana Stepanenko was present at the Ukrainian Olympic House to share her testimony and show us that NOTHING is impossible!
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Yuriy Haponchuk, footballer
🦿 Yuriy Haponchuk, a member of the Ukrainian National Guard and a player on Ukraine’s amputee football team, spoke about his work supporting veterans by creating a center where they can train for free. His initiative demonstrates how sports can be a force for healing and rebuilding.
Serhiy Dubovy, defender of Mariupol
🛡 Serhiy Dubovy, a defender of Mariupol and a former prisoner at the infamous Azovstal plant, shared the harsh realities of the conflict. His poignant testimony highlighted the ongoing threats to Europe:
“While in captivity, we overheard Russians saying, ‘Once we’re done with Ukraine, it’s the Baltics, then Poland, and so on.'”
His words are a chilling reminder of the importance of solidarity and vigilance against aggression.
Dries Mlahfi, Paralympic footballer
⚽️ Dries Mlahfi, a Paralympic athlete who lost a leg at 18 in an accident, began a new chapter in his life as a footballer. He emphasized the need for greater visibility for Paralympic sports and the vital role of media support. His story is a powerful testament to resilience and determination.
In June, he competed at the European Amputee Football Championship in Évian, facing Ukraine.
Julie Lejeune, representative of the NGO ‘The Small Project Teams’
🔊 Julie Lejeune, a representative of the NGO The Small Project Teams, spoke about her mission to develop amputee football in Europe and Ukraine. She highlighted the need for better communication around this sport, which has great potential but has yet to gain recognition at the Olympic Games.
These inspiring encounters remind us how resilience and determination can overcome any obstacle. Let’s support and give more visibility to these sports and athletes who prove every day that nothing is impossible.
