Ten-year-old Ukrainian gymnast Oleksandra Pascal, who lost a leg as a result of Russian shelling, performed at Times Square in the center of New York to remind the world about the children of Ukraine living amidst war.
Before her performance, Sasha and her mother Maria visited the United Nations Headquarters, where they spoke about recovery after injury and the necessity of peace for children, Ukrinform reports, citing the UN press service.
Sasha had been involved in rhythmic gymnastics from an early age. The girl lost her leg in a Russian missile strike in 2022. The child was trapped under rubble; a concrete slab crushed her leg bones, and after 15 days in a medically induced coma, doctors were forced to amputate the limb.
After several months of rehabilitation, Sasha returned to sports. She performs dance and acrobatic routines with a modern prosthetic leg and has been competing alongside children without disabilities for the last four years. The young gymnast has won medals in several tournaments.
The girl’s mother, Maria, emphasized that each of Sasha’s performances helps draw global attention to the situation of Ukrainian children.
“The main message is that people must not forget that the war in our country is still ongoing,” she stated.
Maria stressed that peace is what Ukrainian children need most.
She believes that sports played a crucial role in her daughter’s recovery.
“I think without sports, everything would have been much worse. She would have withdrawn into herself and been ashamed of her prosthetic leg. But when she competes, she is not ashamed; she becomes much more confident,” said the gymnast’s mother.
Read also: A young gymnast who lost her leg due to Russian shelling received the “Future of Ukraine” award
Sasha trains for three to four hours a day, five days a week. She dreams of one day representing Ukraine at the Paralympic Games, should rhythmic gymnastics be included in their program.
As Ukrinform reported, young gymnast Oleksandra Pascal from Chornomorsk, who lost her leg due to Russian shelling, won a gold medal at the Carla’s Rhythmic Cup tournament held in the Romanian city of Brasov from June 5 to 7.
Photos provided by the Pascal family