How Kordon Race in Lviv united military, veterans and citizens for the sake of victory: raising funds for mine simulators for the front line

For the fifth time, Lviv hosted the Kordon Race charity inclusive competition. This is an obstacle course race initiated by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and supported by the MHP Poruch reintegration program for military and veterans. Their goal is to raise funds for the creation of mine simulators for training combat units, UNN reports.

Iryna Hubareva, leading coordinator for military and veterans' relations at MHP-Hromadske, said: "This is not the first time that we have supported an important event like Kordon Race as part of the comprehensive reintegration program for military and veterans called MHP Next Door. It brings together military, veterans and civilians, gathers participants who are ready for challenges, who demonstrate strength of spirit and are ready to overcome any obstacles. Today, such inclusive events are not only about sports, but also about uniting our people around important charity fundraisers to help our Defenders."

Despite the freezing cold, military personnel, veterans, amateur and professional athletes, and children, 250 participants and about 500 guests in total, attended the event and were able to test their skills in overcoming a specially designed obstacle course in extremely difficult conditions, as well as take part in mine safety workshops and meet with dog handlers.

After the race, one of the participants, twenty-two-year-old veteran Vladyslav, shared his impressions of the Special course. He served in the 94th Border Guard Detachment and was wounded in 2023 in the Bakhmut district of Donetsk Oblast. "Before I was injured, I was actively involved in sports, and after I got wounded, I started doing more. However, this is my first time participating in the Kordon Race. The event is very cool, because the obstacles are non-standard. It's cool because you have to think about how to pass each one. I plan to participate in similar competitions in the future."

By the way, Valadyslav is an active participant in such events. In early December, he took part in another inclusive obstacle course race in the Kyiv region - Spartan Para Race, which was also supported by the MHP Next Door program.

Petro Zhovnych, project manager, deputy head of the Lviv Military Medical Clinical Center of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, shared the idea and history of the event: "The Kordon Race project has not only a charitable goal, but also an educational one, to familiarize citizens with militaristic topics, with the work and training of border guards, and to adapt people to life in a country at war. We strive to make the competition not only useful but also interesting. Today, everyone should be familiar with the basics of tactical medicine, know the basic rules for handling explosive devices, and be prepared to act in difficult and unusual situations."

The winners were determined in both individual and team competitions. All participants also received medals.