• Maksym, a deaf Ukrainian and top athlete, is a refugee with his family at the Bellecombe stadium in Lyon.

  • In a month, he must participate in the Deaflympics, a competition halfway between the Olympic and Paralympic Games, reserved for deaf people.

  • For the time being, Maksym cannot train because he does not have access to the city's sports facilities.

    He dreads not being ready on the day of the competition.

In the middle of the large Bellecombe gymnasium, in the 6th arrondissement of Lyon, Maksym, a Ukrainian refugee, patiently waits for things to progress for him.

Homeless for more than a week, this hard of hearing athlete would also like to be able to train for the Deaflympics, but he does not have adequate infrastructure.

This competition, halfway between the Olympic and Paralympic Games, is reserved only for athletes with a hearing threshold of less than 55 Hz, without any other handicap.

It starts in a month, on May 1 in Brazil, and Maksym must imperatively train in athletics.

Sports clubs invited to come forward

For his fourth participation, Maksym wants to be able to win a medal and represent his country, but he needs access to race tracks for that.

"For the sports clubs of Lyon, even pro, it would be good if they came to meet them" testifies Dorota, professor of political science at Sciences-Po Aix, who made the trip to come and help them, him and his family.

Accompanied by his wife Nastia and their daughter Mariana, as well as their friend Vita, they fled the city of Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine.

It was Vita who picked up Maksym by car when their town was bombed.

They traveled 3,800 kilometers through Poland and Germany before arriving in Paris.

But for lack of housing, it was in Lyon that they decided to settle: “We told them that there were associations for people with hearing loss.

They met teachers who came to speak to them in international sign language,” says Dorota Dakowska.

The hope of finding accommodation quickly

Accompanied by a hearing-impaired teacher, Maksym should soon have an appointment at the Prefecture.

Solutions in terms of housing should soon be offered to his family, according to the mayor of the 1st arrondissement of Lyon, Yasmine Bouagga.

Good news that would allow Maksym to devote himself fully to the Deaflympics whose deadline is approaching.

All hope that he will quickly find a place to train, and be at his best for the competition.

Society

War in Ukraine: In Lyon, we want to "bring a little happiness now" to Ukrainian refugee children

Society

War in Ukraine: Street artist Big Ben recounts his painting "The Ogre Poutine" in Lyon

  • Lyons

  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

  • War in Ukraine

  • Sport

  • Athletics

  • Disability

  • disabled

  • 0 comment

  • 0 share

    • Share on Messenger

    • Share on Facebook

    • Share on Twitter

    • Share on Flipboard

    • Share on Pinterest

    • Share on Linkedin

    • Send by Mail

  • To safeguard

  • A fault ?

  • To print