From the trenches to the track, Ukraine’s amputee athletes join international endurance race

In the wake of losing both of his legs, Dmytro Bykhovchenko has become a meticulous planner, preparing meticulously for every journey he embarks upon. This month, the 30-year-old Ukrainian veteran joined fellow war veterans in Valencia, Spain, for a grueling international endurance race known as HYROX. The competition combines eight 1-kilometer runs with eight challenging workouts, including sled pushes, rowing, weighted carries, and sandbag lunges.

Amputee athletes participated in the event's disabled category, with Bykhovchenko finishing the course while wheeling himself around the track and lowering himself to the ground for floor workouts. According to him, "Sport just makes my days easier," as it helps him mentally and morally by preventing him from dwelling on the negative aspects of life and promoting a more positive outlook.

Bykhovchenko lost both of his legs during the Battle of Avdiivka three years ago, when a Russian drone dropped an explosive into his trench, causing heavy fighting that delayed his evacuation for hours. His teammates, who also have multiple amputations, found the event to be a significant milestone in their recovery journey. Oleh Tserkovnyy, one of Bykhovchenko's teammates, stated that "It means a lot to be here and show the world what a veteran of the Russia-Ukraine war is. We want our actions to inspire the world."

After leaving active duty, Tserkovnyy has dedicated his time to aiding other veterans in recovering from severe injuries. During the competition, he stood over Bykhovchenko, cheering him on as he tackled the various circuits. Some team members were relatively new to sports and relied on volunteer trainers who dedicated their hours to helping them get into shape. Yasia Shandrii, a fitness trainer from Kyiv, worked closely with Bykhovchenko to prepare him for the event.

The variety of amputations among the team members, including double lower-limb amputations, single-leg amputations, high arm amputations, and below-the-knee amputations, highlights the diverse nature of the veterans' experiences. Bykhovchenko's training partner, Oleksandr Dashko, who lost his left leg due to a combat injury, emphasized that sports provide a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Ukraine.

He explained, "Every meeting with your friends is about the war. The news on Instagram is about the war. The war is everywhere. When I’m doing sports, when you work hard, not just during training but for several hours afterward, you forget about the war."