On March 13, the awards ceremony took place for the athletes of the national team, which represented Ukraine at the Invictus Games for the past three years.. On behalf of the President of Ukraine, they received state awards for sporting achievements and contribution to the development of adaptive sports. 23 veteran athletes with war, blood, pain and return to active life behind them were awarded the Order of Merit, 3rd degree, and the Order of Courage, 3rd degree..

One of the athletes is a member of the 2025 Ukrainian national team Andrey Boychuk. Back in 2013, he entered contract service in the 80th Air Assault Brigade as a squad commander. Now the Ukrainian Armed Forces veteran, athlete and optimist is 46 years old. Before the army, he practiced karate and was a trainer.. It was sport and optimism, according to Andrei, that helped him survive when, with a shrapnel wound and two tourniquets on his leg, he waited almost three days for evacuation and medical care. He lost his leg, but survived. And then he returned to an active life, to sports. And together with the Ukrainian team he became a medalist at the Invictus Games in Vancouver (Canada) in February 2025.

“During the shelling, I was wounded in the leg by a shrapnel,” says Andrey Boychuk. — I waited for three days for evacuation and was with the turnstile the whole time. The leg was completely amputated. Was treated until May 2024. Given the first disability group. But alive!

I was wounded when we entered the completely destroyed village of Kleshcheevka, Bakhmut district, Donetsk region. On December 3, 2023, I accompanied a group of military personnel to carry out tasks for the protection and defense of a populated area. It was night. But the enemy drone detected our movement, and shelling from the tank began. A shell exploded nearby, knocking me off my feet.

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I felt a sharp pain in my shin - I realized that I was wounded. Then two more soldiers were wounded. Both in both legs. I called a friend who was nearby and asked if he had a turnstile. He installed one turnstile, I told him to install one more, additional. About 20 minutes later the doctors arrived. They took the heavy ones and were supposed to come back for me later. But after they retreated, the shelling began again. That's why the doctors couldn't get to me..

I didn’t feel any pain - probably my nerves were damaged. But I lost a lot of blood - I felt powerless. Sometimes it was difficult to talk even on the radio. The doctors returned the next night, took him to their place - in the basement of a destroyed house, gave him hot tea, changed his clothes.. I spent the night with them. And only on the third night I was evacuated.

I had the operation performed at the stabilization center in Druzhkovka. Woke up after anesthesia - no leg. Plus my kidneys are failing. From Druzhkovka I was transported to Dnieper. Hemodialysis was performed there. Next - Kyiv, Main Military Clinical Hospital. Hemodialysis again. Next - Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Hospital.

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I felt really bad. There was no strength at all. It was hard even to lie down. The doctors said: you need to drink a lot. But I couldn’t drink more than two liters a day. I was injected with saline solution. There is more strength. Suddenly I felt like I could sit up in bed. It was a victory, and after a few days my kidneys started working. I’ve almost come to terms with the fact that I’ll have to go for hemodialysis twice a week, but here’s the good news: I’m alive, I’m not tied to the hospital!

When he was undergoing rehabilitation in Ivano-Frankivsk in 2024, rehabilitation specialist Maxim Pashchin once said: “You will play sports and compete at the Invictus Games.”. I thought he was joking. But in the summer of 2024 there was a selection, and I submitted my data. It so happened that fate smiled on me, and I got into the national team.

Represented Ukraine in three disciplines: sitting volleyball, dry rowing on a simulator and biathlon (sit in a bob, like in a sleigh, they tie you up, do one big circle and then shoot). Such a good, adaptive sport for veterans.

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For winter sports we trained in the summer. Roller skiing. It was difficult because I am a high amputee. I tried with a prosthesis, I tried without it - it was a failure, because all the load was on one side. But then, in winter, I tried it on a bean - it was much easier because I could sit.

Trained in Bukovel. Then we arrived in Canada, in Whistler, 125 kilometers north of Vancouver, a week earlier to adapt to the climatic conditions. And it turned out that winter there is much colder. While I was training, I caught a cold in my left knee.. But we had massage therapists and rehabilitators with us, we managed to restore the knee before the competition.

Our team received bronze in sitting volleyball. I was part of the team. But in other disciplines - archery and biathlon - I was unlucky. In the team competition, the Ukrainian team took third place.

At the opening of the competition, the patron of the Invictus Games, Prince Harry, came to us, hugged us, and expressed support. At all competitions he was with us, next to us, hugging us, rooting for us, showing great respect for Ukrainian veterans.

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Now Andrey Boychuk lives in his native village of Bodnarov, Kalushsky district, works in Ivano-Frankivsk at the Caritas Ukraine charity foundation, where, together with his team, he provides legal assistance to veterans, their families, and family members of the deceased (he has a higher legal education). According to him, there are a lot of requests. Family members of missing persons appeal. Very often - veterans with payment problems. For example, wages were calculated without taking into account indexation - this is a typical situation. Andrey studies the veteran’s file, his documents, makes inquiries to the military unit.

And I didn’t break my relationship with sports. Trained as an archery instructor and trains children in his village. He also conducts training for veterans.. By his example he demonstrates that after injury life goes on - you can develop and play sports.

“The main motivators for me are my wife Natalia and daughter Maria, she is 13 years old,” admits Andrey.

Help ZN. U.A..

The Invictus Games is an international adaptive sports event for veterans and military personnel who have suffered injuries, injuries or illnesses while performing their military duties.. The idea for these games began on March 6, 2014. The Invictus Games Foundation was created. The fund's patron is Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

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