A 10-year-old Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast, Sasha Paskal, is telling her story through dance after losing her leg in a Russian missile attack. Sasha and her mother, Maria, were enjoying time together in the scenic seaside village of Zatoka in the Odesa region of southwestern Ukraine when the attack occurred.
Overcoming Adversity
Despite initially losing consciousness, Maria vividly remembered the atrocity. A concrete slab was lying on Sasha’s leg, and she had a dislocated arm and a lot of bruises on her head. Neighbors helped Maria lift the concrete slab, and they rushed Sasha to the hospital, where she spent 15 days in intensive care.
After seven months of rehabilitation and learning how to walk with a prosthetic leg, Sasha was back in the gym. She has since won her first competition performing with a prosthesis and has been named the ‘Future of Ukraine’ by President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska.
Dance of Freedom Tour
Sasha is currently in Tokyo preparing for the final stop of her Dance of Freedom Tour, a global initiative launched by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation in partnership with FC Shakhtar Donetsk to amplify the voices of Ukrainians whose lives have been affected by the war.
Over the past two weeks, the 10-year-old has performed in Paris, New York’s Times Square, Rio de Janeiro, and Nairobi before arriving in Japan, showcasing her talents to the world and using dance as a universal language to tell her story and that of her country.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
