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British Para Snow Sports Team Leads Adaptive Skiing Training for Ukraine’s Injured Soldiers
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Seven members of the Armed Forces Para Snow Sports team (AFPST) spent three weeks in Ukraine, training local ski instructors as part of Project VOLYA. The initiative is aimed at supporting Ukrainian military personnel injured during the ongoing war, according to Forces News on February 3.
The team, which included four British skiers with disabilities, traveled to the Bukovel ski resort in the Carpathian Mountains. Their goal was to train Ukrainian instructors in adaptive skiing techniques before staying on to assist 25 injured Ukrainian soldiers.
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The project's mission is to provide long-term support to Ukraine's war veterans, helping them regain independence through skiing, which is recognized for its substantial physical and emotional rehabilitative benefits.
“The idea for the project came from meeting Ukrainian veterans,” said Major (Retired) Elizabeth Winfield, the team’s chief operating officer. “We knew the power of what we do, and we decided it would be best to go to Ukraine itself. We thought we might have to wait until after the war, but the need is here right now.”
Winfield acknowledged the risk involved in traveling to Ukraine under the current circumstances, but believed it was the right decision. "I had no shortage of volunteers to join me," she said.
According to Forces News, local ski instructors were eager to learn how to teach adaptive skiing and snowboarding, and the demand for training was so high that it quickly became oversubscribed. Within three days, 25 veterans had joined the program in the second week, after the instructors were trained.
“We didn't know the veterans who were coming,” Winfield said. “Most were only six to 12 months post-injuries, and they were worried about traveling away from their loved ones in other parts of the country or whether they could even get there. We learned so much from them as they did from us.”
The initiative aligns with broader efforts to expand adaptive rehabilitation support for injured Ukrainians.
Earlier, the globally recognized fitness app MadMuscles partnered with the Invictus Games community in Ukraine to launch a free adaptive training program tailored to people with limb amputations, limited mobility, wounded veterans, and those recovering from injuries.
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“At MadMuscles, we believe that sport has no limits. It supports both physical and mental well-being. That’s why we decided to create a program that allows everyone to return to activity, regain strength, and build confidence despite any life challenges,” said Natalya Pastushok, the project’s Chief Product Officer.
According to Pastushok, the program was developed in collaboration with trainers experienced in adaptive sports, with safety and effectiveness as core priorities. She added that instructional videos featuring Invictus Games participants were also prepared to motivate users to pursue both small and significant personal milestones. The training program is carefully structured across six categories of physical ability, with exercises selected by professional adaptive sports coaches to ensure accessibility and safe progression.
Previously, Ukrainian Marines secured gold at the Strong Spirit’s Games in Madrid. Veterans Denys Chabanov and Ihor Iliushkin earned gold medals at this international multi-sport event, which focuses on adaptive sports for combat veterans.
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