01-05-2025
'If you say it, do it:' Ukrainians to run Flying Pig in support of war wounded
Two runners in the May 4 Flying Pig Marathon are competing for more than just a time or a medal. They're trying to save their city, their country.
Vadym Kovalenko and Tara Panasuik are from Kharkiv, Ukraine. It's a "sister city" of Cincinnati. Both cities sit on a river, they're about the same size.
But Kharkiv has been under attack since February 2022. Portions of the city are in ruins. There are still daily missile and drone attacks, Kovalenko told the Cincinnati press through a translator on May 1.
He said just a day earlier, 16 Russian drones attacked the city.
Many people have fled, sometimes through the subway tunnels of the city, but there are still many trying to carry on in Kharkiv. They care for the wounded, some take their children to underground schools, others even participate in sports.
More: Reports from the ground: Attacks begin on Cincinnati's Ukrainian sister city, Kharkiv
Panasiuk said many of the sports organizations in the city have begun providing rehabilitation services to wounded soldiers.
"They want to live and like no one else in the world, they want peace," Panasiuk said.
This will be the second year Panasiuk and Kovalenko have come to Cincinnati to run in the Flying Pig Marathon. They join the ranks of dozens of other Ukrainians who run in races all over the world to raise money and awareness for the Ukrainian cause.
During this trip, the pair is raising money for the Rubinko Rehabilitation Center. The center needs supplies and equipment, including a surgical light to help remove shrapnel from wounded soldiers and civilians.
Training hasn't been easy. Swimming pools, tracks, stadiums and skating rinks have been destroyed. Kovalenko said most people train outdoors, but it's not safe. There are signs everywhere warning people of landmines, he said. People jog between the bombed-out and damaged vehicles.
Panasiuk is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Ukrainian National Police and serves with the special forces. He said they have a motto: "If you say it, you do it," and that's what he's trying to demonstrate in the marathon.
They want to show the world that "Ukraine is not going to give up," Kovalenko said.
They both said they are extremely thankful for the support they have received from Cincinnati and the United States. While policies might change, Kovalenko said, they know the American people still support them.
He said it is still true that "America is the brightest example of democracy and freedom."
Kovalenko and Panasiuk will be at the new Cincinnati Public Radio building at 2117 Dana Avenue on May 1 at 6:30 p.m. and at the Streetside Brewery at 4003 Eastern Avenue on May 2 at 4:30 p.m. to meet with the public.
Both events are free, but donations to the Rubinko Rehabilitation Clinic are welcome. More information about supporting Kharkiv can be found at the Cincinnati Kharkiv Sister City Partnership website.
Both men will be wearing blue and yellow shirts - the colors of the Ukrainian flag - during the Flying Pig Marathon on May 4.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ukrainians from Cincinnati's sister city, Kharkiv, to run Flying Pig
