26-year-old biathlete and cross-country skier Dmytro Suiarko lives in Chernihiv, 15 miles north of Kiev.
While Dmytro was competing in the Paralympics in Beijing, his apartment building in Ukraine was hit by a missile, but his own apartment escaped unscathed.
Back home, he wanted to help as much as possible.
- Because I have a visual impairment, I cannot join the military, if I could, I would have done it, says Dmytro Suiarko.
Sold the Paralympics medals
To try to help the people in Chernihiv and the surrounding villages in some way, Dmytro and his friend bought a minibus this summer and drove out food, medicine and other equipment.
To afford it all, Dmytro sold one of his Paralympic medals.
- I received 5,000 dollars, it's not that much money, but it's always something, says Dmytro Suiarko.
In January, Dmytro Suiarko competed at the para-World Championships in biathlon in Östersund, where he finished fourth at best.
- Many athletes want to win medals.
They want to win gold.
I just train, run and work.
But it is not possible to concentrate to one hundred percent, says Suiarko and shrugs his shoulders at his fourth place.
- In Ukraine, you don't look to the future.
You are here today, you live today.
If you live tomorrow, it's good.