Ukrainian veterans conquered the Bosphorus despite injuries and numerous wounds - The Independent
Kyiv • UNN
Three Ukrainian veterans, despite their injuries, swam across the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey, covering 6.5 km. The swim aimed to draw attention to the victims of the war and raise funds for prosthetics.
Ukrainian defenders, veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war, swam across the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey despite their injuries and wounds. This was reported by UNN with reference to The Independent.
Details
War veteran Oleh Tserkovnyi decided to swim across the Bosphorus Strait with his comrades on Ukraine's Independence Day, August 24. The symbolism of this date would draw attention to the sacrifices and destruction caused by Russia's full-scale military aggression against Ukraine, which has been ongoing for the fourth year.
The man proposed this idea to his comrades from the "One for Another" support group – none of them considered their injuries, including amputations, an obstacle. For several months, they trained with the support of the Superhumans Center, a rehabilitation clinic for veterans in Ukraine, and under the guidance of CapitalTRI, an amateur triathlon team in Kyiv.
The veterans agreed that this event would have another goal – to raise funds for prosthetics, which remain expensive and extremely necessary for many wounded in Ukraine.
We are not asking for pity, we are asking for support
Addition
The Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim is an open water competition held annually in Istanbul and organized by the Turkish Olympic Committee since 1989. Three Ukrainian veterans – Oleh Tserkovnyi, Pavlo Tovstyk, and Oleksandr Dashko – joined over 2,800 swimmers from 81 countries who participated in swimming 6.5 kilometers from Asia to Europe.
All three Ukrainians completed the swim, each swimming for more than an hour. Two veterans with amputations faced obstacles even before the start – the organizers initially forbade them from participating in the competition, insisting that they should be in a separate category for people with disabilities.
But they did not give up and swam the distance with the others.
Recall
On September 7, a charity run MHP Run4Victory will take place in Lutsk. All collected funds will go to support the soldiers of the 100th separate mechanized brigade.