The First International Sports Competitions for Veterans Under the Auspices of Ukraine Have Been Launched
On July 10, at the "K2" base in Kyiv, the presentation of the first-ever international complex competitions in adaptive sports "Strong Spirit's Games" under the auspices of Ukraine, initiated by the NGO "Strongman Federation of Ukraine", took place.
The Strongman Federation of Ukraine is launching the first international adaptive sports competitions among veterans of Ukraine and NATO countries under the auspices of Ukraine "Strong Spirit's Games". The competition is aimed at empowering veterans through sports and community, strengthening health and well-being, and social adaptation of persons who suffered physical or psychological injuries during the war.
"The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has been going on for 2.5 years. During the heroic resistance, a huge number of defenders were seriously injured and need the support of society. We are convinced that sports are the best means of rehabilitation for veterans and the most effective method of returning the military to civilian life. That is why, on the initiative of the Federation of Strongmen of Ukraine, as part of the "Arnold Classic Europe" sports festival, in October 2024 in Madrid, the "Strong Spirit's Games" will be held - the first, on the initiative of Ukraine, comprehensive competitions in adaptive sports for combat veterans with injuries and without. This is a response to Ukraine's gratitude to international partners and a manifestation of honoring all defenders," said Serhiy Konyushok, president of the NGO "Strongman Federation of Ukraine".
The competition consists of three stages:
1st – a series of qualifying regional competitions in the cities of Ukraine,
2nd – national selection on September 13-15, 2024, in Bukovel,
3rd – international final on October 11-13, 2024, in Madrid, Spain.
The regional selection stages are already underway. The competitions took place in the following cities: Dnipro, Odesa, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, Ternopil, Poltava, and will also be held in Kyiv, Cherkasy, Zvyagel, and Rivne.
The national selection for the national team of Ukraine's "Strong Spirit's Games 2024" will take place on September 13-15, 2024, in Bukovel with the support of the resort. More than 300 male and female athletes will compete for places in the team, and the main selection criterion will be the rating of the veteran athlete based on the sum of points obtained at the regional stages and during the national selection. Competitions take place in the disciplines of bench press, rowing on the "Concept2" simulator, air bike, adaptive strongman, and lifting weights.
The international final of the "Strong Spirit's Games" will be held as part of the sports festival "Arnold Classic Europe" on October 11-13, 2024, in Madrid, Spain. Participants of the competition will be veterans from the USA, Canada, Great Britain, and other NATO countries. The national team of Ukraine will include 50 defenders, which will be the largest representation in all the years of participation of the national team in international veteran competitions.
