HOODOO SKI AREA, Ore. — Oleksandr Shvachka, a 38-year-old Ukrainian war veteran, recently experienced the latest chapter of his rehabilitation journey on a snowy mountain thousands of miles from home. Despite losing his left leg to Russian tank fire near Kyiv, the resilient veteran tackled the slopes of Hoodoo Ski Area in central Oregon. Shvachka is one of five Ukrainian veterans who traveled to the Pacific Northwest this month to participate in ski lessons through Oregon Adaptive Sports, an organization dedicated to making sports accessible for those with disabilities.
Under the guidance of instructors, Shvachka embraced the adrenaline of skiing, mastering turns and balance using hand-held “outriggers” which work much like forearm crutches with mini skis attached at the ends. This opportunity provided not just new skills, but also “amazing emotions,” as Shvachka described the experience.
Corvallis, Oregon, has shared sister city ties with Uzhhorod in western Ukraine for more than three decades. The city association welcomed the Ukrainian veterans, most of whom are in recovery at a rehabilitation hospital in Uzhhorod, along with two Ukrainian ski coaches. The aim of this collaboration is to rehabilitate both the body and mind of these veterans and equip Ukrainian ski coaches with skills in adaptive skiing techniques to benefit amputees back home.
Carol Paulson, who helped establish the sister city relationship, reflected on the decades of support, noting how adaptive skiing programs have historically offered transformative experiences for former soldiers. “It affords them a sense of independence and happiness,” Paulson commented, pointing out the shared calm that skiing brings, enhanced by the serene mountain settings.
Shvachka views adaptive sports as a vital part of his rehabilitation process. Besides skiing, he has achieved significant milestones including participating with his prosthetic leg in a 10K race organized by the U.S. Marine Corps and competing in the Arnold Classic Europe alongside other Ukrainian veterans. This competitive spirit saw them achieve a remarkable feat of pulling four semitruck cabs weighing a hefty 35 tons over 65 feet in a mere 30 seconds, marking a strongman world record.
Pat Addabbo, the executive director of Oregon Adaptive Sports, underscored the powerful impact of sports in overcoming adversity. He emphasized the role such experiences play in connecting people globally through shared sporting pursuits and the potential to impart life-altering skills.
The veterans and ski coaches plan to take outriggers with them back to Ukraine, aiming to introduce three-track skiing—a technique using one full-size ski complemented by two outriggers—to others who have lost limbs. Ukrainian instructor Kristian Minai expressed optimism about this initiative, envisioning a new era of war veteran rehabilitation. He also envisions a future for Ukraine’s national Paralympics ski team, hopeful that some of these veterans may one day stand on the Paralympic podium.