Ukrainian team of veterans and civilians in wooden wheelchairs takes part in Paris Marathon
According to a Ukrinform correspondent, the Ukrainian team began the race surrounded by a large support group from the main starting area at 11 a.m., four hours after the main group of runners.
“Of the ten participants, seven are runners with amputations and three are members of the support team. Our strategy is to stay together as long as possible, moving at the pace of the slowest runner. Participants will run around us, cheering us on in every way possible,” said French designer Paul de Livron, founder of Apollo Wooden Wheelchairs, before the start.
He also began working with the Ukrainians. It was under the guidance of this French master that, over the course of six weeks in the fall of 2025, Ukrainian veterans crafted their own wooden wheelchairs at a rehabilitation center in Lviv.
All members of the Ukrainian team are also players for the Titans-Lviv basketball club. They are Pavlo Kozak—the team captain—Andriy Tarasyuk, Ivan Batrak, Oles Protsiv, Volodymyr Saveliev, Mykhailo Varvarych, and Bohdan Koshulab.
The Ukrainians’ participation in the Paris Marathon was organized by the American non-governmental organization United Help Ukraine, which provides humanitarian, medical, and psychological assistance to Ukrainians affected by the war.
“More than 500,000 Ukrainians have been wounded, and the number of amputations has exceeded 140,000 over the four years of the full-scale invasion. It is through initiatives like this that we seek to draw the international community’s attention to the urgent need for comprehensive support for Ukraine. More and more people need to be reintegrated into a full life. Therefore, it is our shared responsibility to do everything possible to make this process a reality for everyone who needs it,” said Valeria Chunihin, Director of Partnership Development at United Help Ukraine.
According to the organizers, the race will demonstrate the transatlantic partnership necessary to support wounded Ukrainians, combining American humanitarian aid, French rehabilitation innovations, and Ukrainian resilience.
As a reminder, the Paris Marathon is one of the most popular and largest marathons in the world. This year, according to the organizers, nearly 60,000 people are participating.
As reported by Ukrinform, Ukrainian veterans, players of the “Titans-Lviv” basketball club, will participate in the most prestigious marathon in Paris.
