On Sunday, September 14, 2025, a special competition for veterans with severe injuries and disabilities took place at the «Olympic Style» sports complex of the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine in Kyiv. The event featured the team from the «Aibolit. Path to Recovery» project, which showcased an impressive level of physical conditioning and indomitable spirit.

Out of seventeen participants, including one woman, sixteen successfully completed the 25-meter distance, while eight completed the 50-meter swim. According to Victoria Kramarenko, the head of the «Wings of Victory» Foundation and the «Aibolit» project, each participant is a living testament to how sports can break stereotypes and open new opportunities for people with disabilities. She emphasized that the idea of creating a swimming project, which initially seemed utopian, has today transformed into an effective mechanism for rehabilitation and social integration of veterans.

«I was amazed that the participants themselves initiated the continuation of the competition series with prizes. This demonstrates their motivation and progress», — noted Victoria Kramarenko. Many veterans significantly improved their results compared to previous competitions.

The «Aibolit» project began training in January 2024 in accordance with a memorandum of cooperation with NUPESU. Classes are held at the «Olympic Style» sports complex in partnership with the university's educational and rehabilitation center.

Thanks to the support of the «Wings of Victory» Foundation, sports equipment has been established, and training on simulators is planned to resume in October. Modern equipment for restoring the musculoskeletal system from Nuga Best has been installed in the rehabilitation room.

After the competitions, representatives of the «Aibolit» project were gifted an icon painted on a fragment of an ammunition box by renowned icon painters Alexander Klimenko and Sonya Atlantova. The icon was presented by partner and veteran of the 114th Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine, Dmitry Kulibaba.

The organizers express their sincere gratitude to the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine, the «Olympic Style» sports complex, and the educational and rehabilitation center for supporting the development of the swimming direction of the project. Special thanks go to Alexander Pyzhov, acting rector of NUPESU; Ruslan Sanzharov, director of the sports complex; Viktor Korzh, director of the educational and rehabilitation center; Vadim Dombrovsky, coach of the Ukrainian Paralympic team; and Roman Vakulenko, rehabilitation doctor.