On Sunday, September 14, 2025, the «Olympic Style» sports complex at the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine in Kyiv hosted a unique competition for veterans with serious injuries and disabilities. The team from the project «Aibolit: On the Path to Recovery» showcased an impressive level of physical fitness and unyielding spirit.
Out of seventeen participants, including one woman, sixteen successfully completed the 25-meter distance, while eight managed the 50-meter swim. According to Victoria Kramarenko, head of the «Wings of Victory» Foundation and the «Aibolit» project, each participant is a living testament to how sports can break stereotypes and open new opportunities for individuals with disabilities. She emphasized that the initial idea of creating a swimming project, which seemed utopian at first, has evolved into an effective mechanism for the rehabilitation and social integration of veterans.
«I was amazed that the participants themselves initiated the continuation of the competition cycle with prizes. This shows their motivation and progress», – noted Victoria Kramarenko. Many veterans significantly improved their results compared to previous competitions.
The «Aibolit» project began training in January 2024 in accordance with a memorandum of cooperation with NUPESU. Classes take place at the «Olympic Style» sports complex in partnership with the university's educational and rehabilitation center.
Thanks to the support of the «Wings of Victory» Foundation, sports equipment has been set up, and training on simulators is scheduled to resume in October. Modern equipment for the rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal system from Nuga Best has been installed in the rehabilitation room.
After the competitions, the representatives of the «Aibolit» project were presented with an icon painted on a fragment of an ammunition box by renowned icon painters Oleksandr Klymenko and Sonya Atlanova. The icon was handed over by partner and veteran of the 114th Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine, Dmytro Kulibaba.
The organizers express their heartfelt gratitude to the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine, the «Olympic Style» sports complex, and the educational and rehabilitation center for their support in developing the swimming component of the project. Special thanks go to Oleksandr Pyzov, acting rector of NUPESU; Ruslan Sanzharov, director of the sports complex; Viktor Korzh, director of the educational and rehabilitation center; Vadim Dombrovskyi, coach of the Ukrainian Paralympic team; and Roman Vakulenko, rehabilitation physician.