UNBROKEN Centre helps 56-year-old defender recover and get closer to his dream of running again
Valeriy Lobov, a 56-year-old stormtrooper who has been teaching physical education and athletics to children for over 30 years, dreams of running again – as he did before he was wounded at the front and lost his leg. The specialists at the UNBROKEN Centre helped the defender regain his physical fitness and get closer to his dream, which now requires only a running prosthesis.
Major Valeriy Lobov from Krasyliv, Khmelnytsky region, has received awards for his military services from both the President of Ukraine and the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. However, he learnt what war is when he was a young man, as he served in Afghanistan.
Then came decades of peaceful life, working at school and running. In 2016, he joined the ranks of volunteers and became a paramedic, a physical education teacher and a coach at a children’s and youth sports school. In 2022, he volunteered for a combat position and became an assault company commander.
“Who else but me had to go? I am a person who has always led an active lifestyle, had good physical fitness and service experience. When I was recruiting soldiers for my company, we used to march 12-16 kilometres with a loaded rucksack of up to 30 kg. Back then, I was able to give a head start even to younger soldiers, who were 25-27 years old,” says Valeriy Lobov.
The assault company commander lost his leg in the fighting in Zaporizhzhia. It happened near Robotyne at the end of August 2023. This was followed by a year of treatment and rehabilitation in different cities. The UNBROKEN Centre was the final point in Valeriy’s recovery.
The 56-year-old defender was admitted to Lviv with a prosthesis, but he could only move around with crutches. So he needed to strengthen his muscles and improve his gait. After a month and a half of sessions with physical therapists, the patient achieved his goals. Now he can walk confidently on the prosthesis and no longer needs other aids. But for the man, it is important not only to walk well, but also to run. Even at the age of 50, Valeriy was able to cover distances of 10 km. To run again, he needs a special sports prosthesis. This is a small dream of the defender. Of course, there is a bigger one.
“I do not believe that traumatic amputation is a sentence. I have accepted the injury, set goals and am working towards them. My big dream is our victory. And I will do everything to make it happen,” says the Armed Forces major.
To make his big dream come true, Valeriy Lobov is ready to continue his military service: both at the front and in the rear, where he could train soldiers. The major is currently awaiting the decision of the military medical commission.
For reference.
The UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Centre is a unique place where adults and children affected by the war receive comprehensive, qualified medical care. This includes reconstructive surgery, orthopaedics and robotic prosthetics. The injured are not only fitted with prostheses, but they are also manufactured here. The centre also provides physical, psychological and psychosocial rehabilitation for injured soldiers and civilians. The aim of the centre is to ensure that people with war injuries do not have to go abroad for treatment, but can be rescued, prosthetically treated and rehabilitated in Ukraine.