Bukovel hosted the national team training camp for Invictus Games 2025

17 JANUARY 2025
Bukovel hosted the national team training camp for Invictus Games 2025

The Ukrainian national team for the Invictus Games, set to compete in the international adaptive sports event in Whistler and Vancouver, Canada, this February, has gathered for their fifth training camp.

This time, the team is meeting at the Bukovel ski resort, which is an ideal inclusive venue for preparing athletes. The location allows participants to hone their wintersports skills in natural conditions. Notably, the Invictus Games 2025 will be the first hybrid event to include adaptive wintersports. Вuring their earlier camps, our veterans trained in swimming pools and on simulators.

Some team members tried skiing for the first time during thistraining camp, while others, despite their injuries, confidently navigated the slopes, skillfully carving turns – even on one leg.

Team member Serhii Gordiievych, who now moves around with the help of a wheelchair due to his injury, had this to say:

“I felt the same emotions as when I was able to stand on my feet. On the very first day it was quite challenging, I was falling constantly, my teammates supported me.. they struggled 'babysitting' me, with me being tall and heavy. But when I finally made it, I felt like a newborn".

Ukrainian fencer and Olympic champion Olga Kharlan visited Bukovel to meet the athletes. During the friendly meeting, Olga had fun snowboarding with the veteran team, shared her competitive experiences and supported the participants. She had this to say:

“I had a great time. In fact, it was a great honor for me. You guys are incredibly motivating. Good luck in Vancouver and.. thank you for everything! I will definitely watch the broadcast of the event. I am wholeheartedly proud being a Ukrainian and meeting incredible people like you”.

The fifth training camp of the national team is coming to an end. Very soon, the athletes will leave for Canada.


Founded by the Duke of Sussex in 2014, Invictus Games are international competitions for veterans and military personnel who were wounded, injured or fell ill while performing their duties.

Ukraine became a part of the Invictus Games community in 2017, debuting at the competitions in Toronto, Canada, and later in 2018 in Sydney, Australia. In May 2020, international competitions were to be held in Hague, but due to COVID-19 restrictions they were postponed to April 2022. In 2023, the Ukrainian national team performed in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The goal of the "Invictus Games Ukraine" project is to create opportunities for Ukrainian military veterans, supporting them on the path to physical recovery, psychological and social rehabilitation.

The participation of the national team in 2025 will be a jubilee: the Ukrainian soldiers will showcase their invincibility for the fifth time.

The Invictus Games in Vancouver-Whistler 2025 will be the first ever hybrid event. Participants will compete in swimming, rowing, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby, with the addition of new disciplines: alpine skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, cross-country skiing, skeleton and wheelchair curling.