An open training session dedicated to veterans engaging in adaptive sports took place in Odesa.

At one of the city's stadiums, a sports event was organized to promote physical activity among veterans. This training became a platform for recovery, interaction, and unity.

The main goal of this initiative is to popularize adaptive sports among veterans, emphasizing its role in rehabilitation, socialization, and mental health support.

Participants had the opportunity to try various activities, including wheelchair basketball, as well as engage in psychosocial support stations:

• creating items from modeling clay,
• developing a “personal resources map,”
• board games and quizzes on mental health and stress resilience.

Adaptive sports are not just about physical activity but also about the path to recovery and returning to an active life among like-minded individuals.

Present at the event was Anna Velychko, the regional coordinator of the national mental health program “How Are You?” in the Odesa region, who emphasized the importance of such initiatives for fostering a culture of mental health in communities.

The event was organized by the NGO “Free Warriors” with financial support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM Ukraine) as part of the “How Are You?” program.

The development and implementation of the “How Are You?” program, an initiative of the First Lady Olena Zelenska, is overseen by the Coordination Center of the Cabinet of Ministers / Mental Health UA with expert support from the World Health Organization.