UNIQUENESS He likes both athletics and team sports. Participation in the Special Olympics is his first and represents an amazing experience for him. “I also dream to win a medal”, he adds. But most important here in Berlin he’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate his uniqueness to the whole world.
INDEPENDENT AND SOCIAL Trainer Kateryna Svishcheva has known the boy for years. "I will never forget the first time I heard about Valentyn. I was told that a boy with Down syndrome could walk 25 km from his village to school in the city of Lutsk by himself every day," she recalls. Valentyn has always been a very independent and social boy. He received an incomplete higher education in the restaurant and hotel business and even opened his own small coffee shop.
Two years ago, together with their friend Andriy, they officially started working as baristas in their own inclusive cafe "Sunny Coffee Shop". When Valentyn tells me about it his eyes radiated happiness.
FROM A COFFE SHOP TO A VOLUNTEER CENTRE With the beginning of the war, his coffee shop became a volunteer centre. Together with other people with intellectual disabilities and their parents, Valentyn helps the armed forces of Ukraine. "He does everything and even more. Valentyn loads boxes, make nets, cookies and charms," says his trainer Kateryna. By the way, Valentyn and Kateryna gave me one of the charms.
IMPORTANCE OF PARTICIPATING IN THE WORLD GAMES Valentyn told me one important thing about his participation in the Special Olympics. Apart from trying to win medals, he wants to share a slightly more important message. "We need to be strong, like Ukraine. And we have to win," he says. I looked into his bright eyes and realized that I want to believe Valentyn.
HOPE When the next day his coach Kateryna wrote to me that Valentyn won the bronze medal in jumping, I felt happy one of his dreams had already come true. The next one is bigger, but thanks to Valentyn now I have hope.
