Raisa Toporkova, a world champion para powerlifter from Ukraine, escaped with friends from the captured city of Enerhodar, where Russian soldiers were shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power complex, with her wheelchair perched on her lap.
“At least we have our sticks to protect ourselves if the Russians come for us,” laughed Yevhenii Razikov, who has cerebral palsy and was part of the risky march to safety. Toporkova spent 12 hours negotiating a series of checkpoints to evacuate the city in southern Ukraine, crammed into a car with numerous individuals with special needs.
“It would be impossible to get out of the car if something happened,” Toporkova, who finished sixth in the Tokyo Paralympics last year, told AFP in Zaporizhzhya, the regional capital. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, more than 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes, but for those with disabilities, the often lengthy and painful trek can be nearly impossible.
Toporkova, who has spent much of her life in a wheelchair due to a musculoskeletal development problem, said the situation in Enerhodar was rapidly deteriorating after a month under Russian administration.
She was barely able to leave the house, and her first-floor home lacked a basement where she might take refuge from the numerous explosions. Food supplies were running out, and prices had increased by much to fourfold. Prescription drugs were in short supply in pharmacies.
Toporkova and her physically challenged husband, Anton Vavryshchuk, departed on Monday, fearful that the opportunity to flee would be lost. Their friends Razikov and his wife, who did not want to be recognized, joined them. Both suffer from cerebral palsy.
Nonetheless, they were detained for seven hours at one checkpoint. The group’s physical challenges were aggravated by long periods of sitting in a car, making the wait long and agonizing.
The group said that they were one of only two vehicles allowed to pass out of a line of more than 100 cars. Due to complications at checkpoints, the journey took 12 hours instead of the normal two.
“There were three conceivable outcomes: one, we were shelled, two, we became stranded, and third, who could possibly save us.” The third point is that we were able to escape, which was, fortunately, the case,” Razikov stated. Toporkova began powerlifting 19 years ago and has won two world titles.
She hasn’t been able to train since the war began in late February, and gyms have closed, and she risks losing her job and ability to support herself if she stays. She used to work out three times a week for two hours.
Edited by Subbuthai Padma
Published by Iram Rizvi
