As she walked the streets of Kiev, Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina couldn’t help but feel the weight of devastation caused by the ongoing war in her home country. But rather than turn a blind eye, Svitolina is using her platform to help raise funds for UNITED24, an organization aimed at aiding Ukraine through various restoration efforts, including the rebuild of apartment blocks in the Kyiv region to help displaced families return home. Additionally, through her own foundation, Svitolina is also committed to providing mental health support for young Ukrainian tennis players affected by the war.
Olha Saladukha, a former world champion in triple jump and member of the Ukrainian parliament, is also working tirelessly to ensure young athletes have the support they need despite the damage caused to sports infrastructure during the war. Alongside her charity and the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation, Saladukha has created monthly stipends for young Ukrainian athletes aged 18 to 25 who have had to leave the country, in hopes that they will return and continue their training. Saladukha also hosted a recent athletics competition for younger teens, bringing together 250 of the most talented children in the country, despite the challenges presented by the war.
Though the ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of many athletes and coaches – including those commemorated on the website “Sport Angels” – Saladukha believes that sport can provide a glimmer of hope amid the chaos and disruption. She maintains that it is a necessary outlet for children who have seen their homes destroyed and their lives upended by war, and thus need something to aspire to.
Svitolina agrees, and has already begun planning for a brighter future through her work with young athletes. She ran a tennis clinic in Kyiv with 350 children during her recent visit, and hopes to someday establish a sports center in the capital for Ukrainian children to enjoy once the war is over. She views her recovery and return to the WTA Tour as a chance to continue to use her platform to benefit her country.
Both Svitolina and Saladukha firmly believe that the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions should be reconsidered as long as the war in Ukraine continues. They find it untenable to compete against athletes representing these countries while their soldiers destroy Ukrainian communities. For now, they are focused on doing whatever they can to support their country’s young athletes and cultivate hope for a brighter, more peaceful future.
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