The event was organised as part of the League of the Unconquered, a project of the Youth and Sports Department of the Lviv Regional Military Administration aimed at physical and psychological rehabilitation of the military through sports.
The masterclass took place on Friday 10 May at the summer sports training base of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. About twenty servicemen and veterans undergoing rehabilitation in the centre tried their hand at archery:
- the Superhumans Centre for Prosthetics and Rehabilitation,
- Next Step Ukraine, a centre for medical and physical rehabilitation of Ukraine’s defenders.
Oleksandr Kutsan picked up a bow for the first time in his life and shares his impressions: “I really liked it. It’s very interesting. It has been my dream to shoot a bow since childhood. But we didn’t have such a section in Pereyaslav. Now I want to hit the centre of the target.”
The introductory training session was conducted by the acting director of the Children and Youth Sports School No. 1, Nazar Kuzyk, as well as coaches and archers Lesya Shakh, Solomiya Trapeznikova and Yuriy Havelko.
“I love spending time with veterans at the shooting range. Watching them develop, improve and have a desire to change their lives is always inspiring. I’m happy to see them become more confident and achieve their dreams,” says Lesia Shakh, coach of the archery team at the Invictus Games.
The ambassadors of the League of the Unconquered project, veterans of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and champions and winners of the Invictus Games international competition, Pavlo Luchkiv, Dmytro Afanasiev and Serhii Kalytyuk, also shared their knowledge.
“Once upon a time, Dmitry Afanasyev, a participant in the Invictus Games, was told: “You should try it. You won’t die from it, but you might live.” Now he cannot imagine his life without this sport, and archery remains his great passion to this day.
Many of those who came to try archery were drawn to it and found new opportunities, made new friends, and changed their lives. Many have a new circle of friends and new perspectives,” says Roman Khimyak, head of the Youth and Sports Department of the Lviv Regional Military Administration.
The next masterclass for military personnel and veterans will be held on 16 May in Zhovkva. It will be an equestrian class.