Yaroslav Sviatoslavskyi: professional sport is my rehabilitation

Sport means different things to everyone, but for me sport is not only a way of life, but also a vital necessity, it is my rehabilitation. When I was 16 years old, I got a spinal cord injury with spinal cord damage as a result of a fall from a 12-meter height. Before that, I was engaged in sports acrobatics, gymnastics, parkour and when performing an element, I did not calculate my own strength, overestimated my capabilities and fell.

Yaroslav Sviatoslavsky

Since that day I decided not to give up and set a goal for myself: to find a way to get back on my feet at any cost and try to help those whose life situation is similar to mine. At first I was rehabilitated in rehabilitation medical centers, then I became a test pilot of the Russian medical exoskeleton ExoAtlet, developed with the support of the Skolkovo Foundation, and soon I came to professional sports and realized that this is my best rehabilitation.

My goal: to find a way to get back on my feet at any cost and try to help those whose life situation is similar to mine.

About sports in my life

The main sport I do is cycling, I am an athlete of the Russian Paralympic team in this sport, and this is my job. There is also triathlon in my life – IronStar competitions. Recently in Sochi I managed to pass the classic distance of 226 km, where first I swam in the Black Sea for 4 km, then twice climbed from Adler to Krasnaya Polyana on a bicycle (handbike) 180 km, and then overcame a marathon of 42 km on a track and field wheelchair – all this on one hand.

From the latest hobbies – recently started to perform at bodybuilding tournaments, where I create my own nomination, I am interested in active recreation like diving and parachuting – it’s a hobby.

Yaroslav Sviatoslavsky

I have several sporting goals in different disciplines. In triathlon it is the IRONMAN World Championship, which is held annually in Hawaii, in bodybuilding – the Arnold Classic tournament in the Spinal Cord Injury category, in cycling – the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo. Now it remains to achieve new victories.

My first distance in cycling was the IronStar Triathlon sprint distance in Sochi. At that time I had learned to swim two weeks before, I had never ridden a special bike – handbike – and ran on a simple home wheelchair. I managed to arrange a bike rental directly in Sochi with one of the paratriathletes. The fact that I performed – I was just lucky, it might not have happened.

My training took place on the streets of Moscow, when I raced on a regular wheelchair from subway to subway and through the center, and a couple of days before the start I crossed Moscow through the city from one end of the Moscow Ring Road (Reutovo) to the other (Odintsovo), it was 50 km and 9 hours, at the same time I understood all the “charms” of the accessible environment in Russia.

About the race

Now I am also an ambassador of the Wings for Life World Run, which will be held on May 7 all over the world in support of research into my spinal cord injury. The run takes place all over the world, at the same time. More than 100,000 participants in 24 countries on 25 courses are taking part.

Yaroslav Sviatoslavsky

In Moscow this year about 3000 people will take part in the race in the region, in the historical place – in the city of Kolomna. All the money raised from the race will be used to research my injury and to solve a big problem for all the guys who also found themselves in such an unpleasant situation – to find ways to rehabilitate after a spinal cord injury. So by registering for this race, you are helping me regain my dream of walking again.

Now I’m trying to go international in all kinds of sports. And the Wings for Life World Run is also on the list. Recently in Sochi at Formula we met my friend Daniil Kvyat – a Formula 1 driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso and agreed to run the race together next year. I’m sure it will work out, as Dani and I have very busy training and competition schedules, but we will try to find time.

Yaroslav Sviatoslavsky

About motivation

To be honest – I am inspired and motivated by girls, because when nature has given you good looks and athleticism, you want to be out of competition. Wheelchair in principle does not interfere with dating, perhaps there are even more than the average handsome sporty guy, and in some ways I can envy him, but still I want to be like everyone else, living my young life on the same level of looks.

One should not forget that time flies, and it flies very fast, and one should enjoy every moment.

One should not forget that time flies, and flies very fast, and one should savor every moment. Whether you are a champion, not a champion, Ironman or not Ironman is not the main thing in life. These are tools that help you to create a certain image, to add sports regalia to your portfolio, to get some media exposure to start working with it, as I do with the Wings For Life World Run, and to strive and develop further, helping scientific research with your sporting successes, helping yourself and others.