- Five Ukrainian amputee veterans trained in adaptive skiing techniques at Oregon's Hoodoo Ski Area
- Corvallis-Uzhhorod Sister Cities partnership hosts rehabilitation initiative for war survivors
- Program aims to establish Ukraine's first adaptive skiing curriculum for amputees
- Participants include record-breaking athletes eyeing Paralympic qualification
Against the snow-capped peaks of Oregon's Cascade Range, a group of Ukrainian veterans is rewriting the narrative of war trauma through adaptive sports. Oleksandr Shvachka, who lost his left leg to Russian tank fire near Kyiv in 2022, recently carved fresh tracks down Hoodoo Ski Area's slopes using specialized outriggers. This therapeutic journey forms part of a groundbreaking international rehabilitation program organized by Oregon Adaptive Sports and the Corvallis-Uzhhorod Sister Cities Association.
The two-week intensive clinic builds on a 54-year legacy of adaptive sports therapy dating back to Vietnam War rehabilitation programs. Carol Paulson, who taught skiing to amputee veterans in the 1970s, helped coordinate the initiative. 'The mountain's quiet strength helps replace battlefield memories with feelings of capability,' Paulson observed as veterans practiced controlled turns under professional guidance.
Participants like Shvachka bring remarkable resilience to the program. The 38-year-old former soldier completed a Marine Corps 10K in Washington D.C. using his prosthetic leg and helped set a world record at Arnold Classic Europe by pulling four 35-ton semitruck cabs over 65 feet (20 meters) in just 30 seconds. These achievements underscore adaptive sports' capacity to rebuild physical strength and combat-related PTSD.
Oregon's program uniquely combines sports therapy with international diplomacy through its three-decade sister city relationship with Uzhhorod, Ukraine. The Ukrainian contingent returns home with 12 sets of adaptive ski equipment, aiming to establish rehabilitation centers near the Carpathian Mountains. National deaf ski team coach Kristian Minai sees Paralympic potential: 'These veterans could become Ukraine's first adaptive skiing medal contenders.'
