In Baryshivka, Kyiv region, there is an adaptive club for veterans where they can not only recover physically and mentally, but also spend quality time with their families and meet like-minded people.
Serhiy Shcherbak, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, regularly attends an adaptive club in Baryshivka. The man says he uses all the possibilities of the space.
I work out on a treadmill, lift dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells. After training, I play darts. Exercise helps me keep fit, especially after having problems with my legs and back due to wearing body armor. Now I can't imagine a day without training. Here you can get psychological relief and keep fit
Before the full-scale invasion, he was a school principal. When the enemy came to his native land, he joined the 136th Territorial Defense Battalion. Later he defended the state in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions. Serhiy's eldest son returned to Ukraine from abroad and joined his father in defending the country.
The Adaptive Club in Baryshivka is one of 15 winners of the All-Ukrainian competition of social initiatives "Time to Act, Unstoppable". On the terms of co-financing, the project received grant support from the State Institution "All-Ukrainian Center for Physical Health ‘Sport for All’, with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine within the framework of the Presidential Program ‘Active Parks’, as well as the MHP-Community Charitable Foundation within the framework of the MHP Poruch Veterans Reintegration Program, and the Fedir Spig Foundation.
Pavlo Moroz, Director of MHP's Corporate Social Responsibility Department, noted that sport is an effective method of both physical and mental recovery.
- We realized this while implementing the MHP Poruch (MHP Next Door) comprehensive support program for military and veterans when we saw how our defenders, as well as people with disabilities, regain strength, endurance and self-confidence to develop, communicate and be part of the community. And they are inspired to move forward to victory!
The premises of the club in Baryshivka, which used to be a swimming pool, remained abandoned and had not been used for its intended purpose for a long time. However, thanks to funds raised from various sources, including grant funding, the space was modernized and equipped with specialized equipment and exercise machines adapted for people with disabilities.
The club is attended by veterans not only from Baryshivka but also from neighboring communities. The work is organized so that everyone can come at a time convenient for them.
- In addition to strength training equipment, there is a recreation area: air hockey, table football, table tennis, darts, chess, etc. "You can come here with the whole family, combine sports and socializing," explains trainer and physical rehabilitator Dmytro Semenenko.
Veteran Mykola Kovtun, a table tennis coach at a local children's and youth sports school, also attends the adaptive club. Mykola's career in the armed forces began on February 24, 2022. Then he joined the 136th Territorial Defense Battalion. Together with his comrades, he went through Kupiansk, Lysychansk, Yampil and other hot spots.
- In my opinion, sport is especially needed by wounded veterans and those with amputations. When guys get together, they get the support they need, so I would like to see as many people as possible," the veteran adds.
Andriy Rebryna , Director of the State Institution "Sport for All", emphasized that there should be more barrier-free spaces for veterans, people with disabilities and their families.
- Our task is to create conditions for physical activity for those returning from combat zones, those who have been injured but want to continue to lead an active lifestyle. The Adaptive Club in Baryshivka is a place where everyone will find the type of physical activity that will bring them pleasure and meet like-minded people on the way to victory," comments Andriy Rebryna.
The return of the military is always accompanied by a return to the family, to the circle of friends and the community where they live, says Maria Lemberg, director of the Fedir Spih Foundation.
- The only thing that can demonstrate society's gratitude is access to services and infrastructure that veterans can use in their community. The value of gratitude is offset if it is expressed only in words and on holidays. Very concrete actions in partnership with communities, businesses, and the public sector create a tangible dimension of this gratitude: veterans' spaces, rehabilitation centers, adaptive centers, and convenient services. Everyone on the home front has little time to prepare the necessary infrastructure for the return of the military and support for veterans and their families. The availability and accessibility of such adaptive spaces can be an additional impetus for the development of Ukraine's veteran community.
Additional information:
"Time to Act, Unstoppable" is a grant competition for communities that can receive up to UAH 400 thousand to create an adaptive club "Unstoppable" in their village or town.
The project is being implemented in 13 regions of Ukraine, namely: Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovs'k, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy, Chernihiv regions and the city of Kyiv.
Project partners: Charitable Foundation MHP to the Community within the framework of the MHP Poruch military and veterans reintegration program, Fedir Spig Foundation, State Institution All-Ukrainian Center for Physical Health "Sport for All" within the framework of the Active Parks project of the President of Ukraine program, Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.
The project aims to create and equip sports centers in communities adapted for people with disabilities, including people with disabilities as a result of war, where they can engage in physical education, communicate with like-minded people and receive professional support from qualified trainers, stimulating their reintegration into the social life of the community.