A social project was introduced in Zaporizhzhia to help rehabilitate and support war veterans and military personnel. The methodology was created by Denys Sylantiev, an athlete and public figure from Zaporizhzhia. Financial support for the “Free Waves” project in Zaporizhzhia is provided by Metinvest in coordination with Zaporizhstal and the NGO “Zaporizhzhia. Platform for Joint Action”.
The pilot launch of the project occurred on July 16 at a swimming pool complex in Zaporizhzhia. The aim of the “Free Waves” program is to normalise health conditions and support physical, psychological, and health rehabilitation of war veterans and military personnel through swimming activities.
The best way to show gratitude and respect for Ukraine’s defenders is to care for them, seek out and implement solutions that help them adapt to civilian life after returning from the front. Metinvest’s programme of veterans adaptation includes targeted and multi-stage support system for people with combat experience. The ‘Free Waves’ programme is more than just rehabilitation: it is a significant step toward improving the physical and mental well-being of our veterans.
The project will include 48 sessions with 100 veterans. The programme incorporates adaptation techniques created by Denys Sylantiev, a World and European swimming champion, four-time World Cup winner, and Olympic silver medalist. The coaching for the programme will be provided by Serhiy Proniaiev, a renowned swimming coach from Ukraine.
The project will later expand to Kryvyi Rih, with the goal of involving up to 400 veterans and military personnel in both cities. The swimming classes will be free of charge for the programme participants, with all expanses covered by Metinvest Group. Mobile lifts purchased through the programme guarantee unrestricted access to training. The total funding for the first pilot season was nearly UAH 1.3 million.
In the rehabilitation process for veterans, physical activity in water serves not only as a means of physical recovery but also as an important component of psychological healing. Only by restoring our defenders’ strength and mental harmony can we expect them to fully reintegrate into civilian life. We also took into account the needs of people with disabilities: mobile lifts were purchased within the project and handed over to swimming pools to ensure comfortable access to water-based activities.
It is worth noting that in 2022-2023 in Zaporizhzhia due to financial support of Metinvest Group in cooperation with Zaporizhstal was conducted Denys Sylantiev’s “Children Physical Rehabilitation by Swimming” project for orphans, internally displaced children and children from military families. About 400 children attended classes, and after the rehabilitation, they not only learned different swimming styles but also experienced an improvement in their mental state.