Eight-year-old Ukrainian girl with prosthetic leg sets national downhill skiing record – photos
Pravda Ukraine
Eight-year-old Marynа Ponomariova from Kherson Oblast has become the first girl wearing an above-knee prosthesis to ski down a slope with a coach, setting a national record.
Source: Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialised Hospital
Details: Marynа, who is from Kherson Oblast, lost one of her legs when a projectile hit her home in May 2022. She was taken to the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialised Hospital in Kyiv.
The little patient later received a prosthetic leg, becoming the first child in the country to receive a prosthesis due to a war injury. Maryna is still undergoing rehabilitation, working with a psychologist and continuing to get used to the prosthesis.
Despite everything she has been through, Maryna has found a new hobby: skiing. She only started skiing a month ago but is already achieving great results.
Accompanied by her coach, Vasyl Leskiv, Marynka skied down a slope about 50 metres long. Her descent took 46 seconds – a national record that has been included in the Book of World Records.
Maryna’s family and friends were there to support her, along with her coach and staff from the hospital.
Maryna, whose dream is to become a racing driver in the future, enjoys many different sports: football, cycling, trampolining, swimming and skiing. She admits that she loves speed the most.
Quote from Okhmatdyt: “Our patient’s story is an example for everyone. She is a role model of incredible strength and proof that nothing is impossible.”
Background: Emma Klochkova, aged 2, from Odesa, has set a record as the youngest Ukrainian to have swum 25 metres in a pool.
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