After the war took away her legs, this gymnast from Ukraine didn’t want to give up

After surviving a Russian attack that took her leg, Sasha now hopes her story will remind the world that Ukrainian children are still living through war.

Ahead of her performance – she is a rhythmic gymnast who specializes in choreographing routines – Sasha and her mother, Maria, visited UN Headquarters, where they spoke with UN News about resilience, recovery and why, most importantly, children need peace.

Bouncing back

Sasha had been practicing rhythmic gymnastics from an early age when her life changed drastically in 2022.

During the early months of Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine, he was seriously wounded in an attack in the Odessa region.

A collapsing concrete slab crushed the bones in his leg, leaving doctors with no choice but to amputate his limb after he spent 15 days in a medically induced coma.

After months of rehabilitation, Sasha returned to the sport she loves, performing dance and acrobatic routines with a modern prosthetic leg.

For the past four years, he has competed alongside children with disabilities, winning medals in several competitions, including most recently at an international tournament in Romania.

Children need peace

For Maria, every performance is an opportunity to keep international attention focused on Ukrainian children.

“The main message is that people should not forget that war is still happening in our country,” he said.

What Ukraine’s children need most, he added, is peace.

Sasha’s story is also inspiring The Heart Sees More Than the Eyesan inclusive comic book created by young people with support from UNICEF, the UN children’s agencythrough UPSHIFT program.

This comic follows a young gymnast who continues to train after losing a leg and is used in classroom activities that encourage children to better understand disability and inclusion.

Harm to children

Sasha’s experience reflects the war’s larger impact on Ukrainian children.

According to UNICEFnearly 2.6 million children – more than a third of all children in Ukraine – remain displaced from their house. Around 791,000 people are internally displaced within the country, while 1.8 million others live as refugees abroad.

Since February 2022, more than 3,400 children have been killed or injured in attacks, although the actual number is believed to be much higher as many cases cannot be independently verified.

The war also disrupted education, with more than 1,700 schools and educational facilities damaged or destroyed.

One in three people are still unable to attend school full-time, while children living close to the frontline face particularly severe psychological impacts.

UNICEF and its partners continue to provide humanitarian assistance, psychosocial support, educational services and programs that help children recover from the impacts of war.

Strength through exercise

Currently, Sasha trains for three to four hours a day, five days a week. His mother believed exercise was important to his recovery.

“I think without sport, things would be worse,” Maria said. “He would withdraw and feel embarrassed about his prosthetic leg. But when he competed, he didn’t feel embarrassed. He became much more confident.”

Looking ahead, Sasha dreams of one day representing Ukraine at the Paralympics if rhythmic gymnastics is included in her program.

Although he admits he still feels nervous before competing, he has simple advice for other kids facing challenges.

“Don’t give up and keep moving forward,” he said. “And don’t be afraid of anything.”