Photo by Anastasia Varvarina
Ukrainian war veteran Roman Kashpur will be among those lining up for the Brussels 20km run on Sunday.
But, unlike most of the other participants, Roman will be at a distinct disadvantage as he was badly injured in the conflict and had to have one of his lower legs amputated.
He now gets by with the support of a prosphetic limb but that has not deterred him from entering the city’s big annual charity run this weekend.
He will line up alongside another veteran of the war, Yurii Kozlovskyi whose right leg was seriously injured during the conflict and who also now relies on an artificial limb for his mobility.
Both appeared at a news conference at Brussels press club on Friday to explain why they were so determined not to allow their personal anguish from taking part in sport, including the 20km.
Father of two Roman, aged 27, told this site: “I turned to sport after what happened to me and it has helped me very significantly, not least with the psychological damage. It has helped me find a true meaning to life.”
He is particularly proud of recently becoming the first ever veteran from the Ukraine war to complete the London marathon.
Roman, who first joined the Ukraine forces as a volunteer at the age of 19, said, “The 20km is not a marathon but it is still a significant distance and we hope to raise as much as possible for the Foundation.”
Yurii, 40 and the father of one child, added, “The message I hope our participation in the 20km will give others is that you should never lose your spirit for life.”
“I hope this will be an inspiration to others who find themselves in a similar situation. There are not just thousands, but likely millions, who will be injured, some badly, in this war.”
A third veteran, Yurii Tsyntylevych, was also at the press club to tell of his own experience. the 30 year old also suffered serious injuries while trying to defend Luhansk airport back in 2014.
He too says sport has helped deal with the fall out of what happened. In his case, he has since run two half marathons and an online version of the London marathon.
