Ukrainian wrestling twins need father to get green card to keep Olympic dream alive

Yahoo

08-04-2025

The wrestling room is a safe haven for Yevhen Pylypenko and his sons, Dmytro and Maksym Chubenko. It is there, sparring on the mat, where the Ukrainians can escape the political pressure that threatens to disrupt their hopes and dreams.
On the mat, there is no need to obtain a green card or to worry that without permanent resident status it is possible the family, which also includes Yevhen's wife, Maryna, and daughter Polina, could be forced to return to Ukraine, the war-torn eastern European nation from which they first fled in the spring of 2022, after Russia invaded. They spent nine months in Croatia before bumping into the director of an Ohio wrestling club who was touring the country with some of his athletes.
Brian Church, director of Columbus Wrestling Club, convinced the family to take advantage of the U.S. pathway program for Ukrainian refugees. He invited them to live with him in Worthington, a Columbus suburb, they accepted the offer, and two years later, they still live with Church. But their refugee status has ended, which means the only way they can remain in Columbus long-term is to get the green card, which would allow them to live and work here permanently.
They have long wanted to wrestle in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. While their English has greatly improved since they arrived in the US, their chances to represent the United States in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2028 Games have not. And there is not much they can do about it, except continue to excel at their sport, which they see as a way to show they are contributing to U.S. society.
'We have to go hard at everything. We need to be perfect,' Maksym said a few weeks ago before he, his brother and father left for the U.S. Olympic training camp in Colorado Springs, where they were invited to work out by U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman coach Herb House.
If the twins must walk the straight and narrow line, noting that being on their best behavior on and off the mat can only help show that the family is worthy of remaining in the States, then the line their father must toe is even thinner. After all, he is the one who must obtain the green card.
'They want to show they're not the kind of people you don't want in this country,' said Church, adding that Yevhen is an excellent coach who helps train Olympic hopefuls – he helped prepare the USA Under-20 team for the 2024 World Championships – and his sons are gifted wrestlers. The 19-year-old twins each placed at the prestigious Fargo National Championship in 2024, Dmytro at 138 pounds and Maksym at 144.
Off the mat, father and sons want to turn America into a Greco-Roman wrestling nation, which is a tall mountain to climb considering the majority of U.S. high school and college wrestling is folk style. (Greco-Roman differs from folk/freestyle mostly in that it does not allow holds below the waist).
Talking to the twins offers a study in a type of seriousness – painting with a broad brush here – uncommon to high school students. The seniors at Worthington Kilbourne High School are single-minded in their quest to excel at their craft. Not that they cannot have fun, but there is a soberness, accompanied by a hint of sadness, that permeates their persona. And no wonder, when the threat of deportation hovers like a guillotine.
'We are always thinking about it, concerned about it,' Dmytro said.
The family has had to learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable, because the process of obtaining a green card is both costly (legal fees) and lengthy, with no guarantee of a positive outcome. And the thought of returning to Ukraine? Well, as best they can, the twins try not to think about it.
Instead, they work. And work. And work. Father. Mother. Sons. They make a living delivering food for DoorDash, cutting down on life expenses by living with Church, who is single. Yevhen volunteers at Columbus Wrestling Club, training young wrestlers from across central Ohio, and planned this month to begin working with the Athletes in Action wrestling team. He is doing his best to prove his worth as a model citizen and positive contributor to U.S. sports.
Much is at stake. The twins cannot leave the country without Yevhen obtaining his green card, which means no international competition, which means no shot at making the 2028 Olympic team.
'They're kind of stuck,' Church said. 'They can't compete for spots on the U.S. team because they don't hold passports, and (U.S. wrestling) doesn't want them coming and competing and beating people when they can't travel (internationally).'
In addition, what college wants to give scholarships to wrestlers who could get deported in the middle of a season?
'It's a problem,' Church said. 'Because if they end up having to go back (to Ukraine), now you're dealing with, 'Hey, you left. We are not going to do anything for you.' They have no place to live. It would be really bad as far as a living situation.'
How valuable to the national greater good must a person be to make a strong case that he or she deserves to remain in the United States? That is the unknown weighing upon Yevhen and his family.
'These past couple months, they're all working almost 12 hours a day,' Church said.
It is hard to predict how the story ends. Several U.S. Olympic coaches have written letters in support of Yevhen, pointing out his importance to the team. But letters of support are common among those seeking green cards.
Yevhen's heart is in the right place. 'I want to help the state of Ohio,' he said, explaining how the state has 'many sportsmen,' which is an international term for athletes.
The proud father, like his sons, tries to remain positive, even as uncertainty swirls.
'It's difficult,' Yevhen said. 'All you can do is keep doing what you are doing today.'
Keep working. Keep hoping. Keep the faith.
Reach Rob Oller at [e-mail] or on X @rollerCD.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ukrainian twins need dad to get green card so they can keep competing