With the amputation of both legs won Hoverla!

War veteran Dmytro, who lost both legs, independently climbed the highest peak of Ukraine – Hoverla (2061 m). His feat was included in the book of Ukrainian records.

It all started with a prayer. Seven friends, veterans of the ATO, on the fourth night of June 12 in the village of Lazeshchyna, Transcarpathian region, began their ascent to Hoverla. It would seem the usual desire to conquer the summit. But among the men – a fighter of the battalion “Kyivska Rus” Dmytro Kotov. 2016 he lost both legs in the war. However, he decided to climb on prostheses. Therefore, Hoverla is his dream.

“I want to show people that there is no need to despair, everything is possible! The main thing is to make the first step!”, –  shared his emotions veteran of the ATO Dmitry Kotov.

“The spirit is vigorous, fighting, no matter what – forward! We have such a saying: “Life is movement”. So – up, reach the top,” added Vladimir Bevz, the curator of the ascent.

It took them more than an hour to get to the foot of Petros on a dirt road in a Shisharik truck. And from there the guys covered up to ten kilometers on foot.

They are from different brigades, and the war has brought them together: they meet weekly in their veterans’ club in the capital and replace each other’s psychologists. For they saw death with their own eyes on the front line.

“When the war started, I said: Lord, how can I help Ukraine? And the first thing he told me was to go to the military central hospital in Kiev. We first went there. And a month later we were already in the ATO”, – shared his memories military chaplain Viacheslav Bevz.

“Oh … Near me five men was from our battalion got “two hundred”… we even didn’t count “three hundred” ones. But the combat task we accomplished. That all the people – not only him, but the whole world knew that the Ukrainian fighters can do very a lot”, – said the ATO veteran.

Hoverla is also a small test of humanity. Because the closer to the top, the more difficult it was for Dmytro. He changed his special socks several times so that they wouldn’t bother his prosthetics. And then he climbed again.

Dmitry went to war while having a small construction business. He fought in Donbas and Luhansk region. As a sapper, he cleared nearly fifty shells and mines. And on one of them near Svetlodarsk he exploded. Doctors promised that Dmitriy would still dance tango on prosthetic limbs, but he went further: last year he took part in the U.S. Marine Corps Marathon, and then in the Games of the Unconquered he got silver for rowing. Now Hoverla!

“I even started to dream about it. I didn’t sleep at night, I was always climbing Hoverla in my dreams,” Dmytro admitted.

The most difficult way was a kilometer before the top, where it was difficult to walk even on two legs. And friends gave Dmytro their hands, which is the most reliable support. So 12:00 of unbearable efforts and the dream is cate true. And at the top there was another shock: Dmytro was awarded a diploma of the Ukrainian Book of Records as a person with disabilities who conquered Hoverla himself.

With this mountain climb of more than 2060 meters.

Now Dmytro runs on running prostheses, because he received absolutely FREE running prosthetic limbs under the “Care” program. This is a Kyiv-based program that allows to place prosthetic limbs with increased functionality for young and active people.

The Tellus Prosthetic and Orthotic Help Center made these prostheses for Dmitry and helped him learn how to use them in full.

We are very happy that Dmytro will now be able to conquer new heights and be faster on any treadmill. And for those who live in Kiev and are interested in this program, please call us at the numbers listed in the header of the website.