Ukrainian Paralympians aim to help under siege motherland

The Ukrainian Paralympics contingent seemed unstoppable despite grappling with the uncertainty of the safety of their loved ones back home. The Ukrainian team bettered their previous best Winter Paralympic performance amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Team Ukraine is only behind China with a total of 28 medals (10 gold, 10 silver and 8 bronze medals). China is on top of the medal tally with 58 medals (18 gold, 18 silver and 22 bronze medals).

The 2022 Winter Paralympics will come to an end on Sunday (March 13) in Beijing. The Ukrainian team will fly to Istanbul and then rest for a few days in Warsaw before traveling by bus to Ukraine.

According to reports, nearly 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine following the bombardment from Russian troops while another two million have been internally displaced due to the war.

Ukrainian athletes speak after winning medals at 2022 Winter Paralympics

The Ukrainian contingent sent their thoughts and prayers to those fighting the invasion back home. Silver medallist Kononova said she was proud to share the podium with her compatriots but admitted her mind is occupied with was is going back home. She said:

"This medal is really special and unique for me because now we have a very difficult emotional pressure. Despite that, I'm physically here and competing, all my thoughts, my heart and my soul is with my family and with my child. Emotionally, it's very difficult to focus and to concentrate on the race and the competition so this is the most difficult Paralympic Games for me."

Vovchynskyi, who won gold, silver and bronze in his men's standing biathlon races and a bronze in a cross-country event tried to lift the spirits of family and friends with his words. He said:

"Those who are sheltering underground, those who are under fire and those who are so afraid when they hear the sirens and run to the basements, I want to tell them that this hour is not for you. This is not your story and this is not how it will end."

He added:

"The main task will be to do what I can to help Ukraine. I want to help my friends who are in the cities where there is a lot of fighting, in places where there is a need for humanitarian aid."

Biathlete Pavlo Bal, a former airborne soldier who had his legs amputated after an injury in 2017 - knows it will be a long and tough fight ahead for his country. He told AFP through an interpreter:

"I will be a blood donor and help internally displaced people. Maybe I will help with logistics."

Speaking about Ukraine's incredible performance, the president of the International Paralympic Committee Andrew Parsons hailed the team's journey as 'an extraordinary sports story'. The president said:

"The fact they are competing here, knowing what is going on in their nation, and are still focused on competition - it's incredible. This is beyond what I thought was possible."