After surviving a Russian attack that claimed her leg, Sasha now hopes her story will remind the world that Ukraine’s children are still living through war.
Ahead of her performance – she’s a rhythmic gymnast specializing in choreographed routines – Sasha and her mother, Maria, visited UN Headquarters, where they spoke to UN News about resilience, recovery and why, above all, children need peace.
Sasha Pascal during a visit to UN headquarters in New York.
Bouncing back
Sasha had been training in rhythmic gymnastics since early childhood when her life changed dramatically in 2022.
During the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she was seriously injured in an attack in the Odesa region.
A collapsing concrete slab crushed the bones in her leg, leaving doctors with no choice but to amputate the limb after she spent 15 days in a medically induced coma.
Following months of rehabilitation, Sasha returned to the sport she loves, performing dance and acrobatic routines with a modern prosthetic leg.
Over the past four years, she has competed alongside children without disabilities, winning medals at several competitions, including most recently an international tournament in Romania.
Children need peace
For Maria, every performance is an opportunity to keep international attention focused on Ukraine’s children.
“The main message is that people should not forget that the war is still going on in our country,” she said.
What Ukrainian children need most, she added, is peace.
Sasha’s story has also inspired The Heart Sees More Than the Eyes, an inclusive comic book created by young people with support from UNICEF, the UN’s children agency, through the UPSHIFT programme.
The comic follows a young gymnast who continues training after losing a leg and is used in classroom activities that encourage children to better understand disability and inclusion.
Toll on children
Sasha’s experience reflects the wider toll the war continues to take on Ukraine’s children.
According to UNICEF, nearly 2.6 million children – more than one-third of all children in Ukraine – remain displaced from their homes. Around 791,000 are internally displaced within the country, while another 1.8 million are living as refugees abroad.
Since February 2022, more than 3,400 children have been killed or injured in attacks, although the true number is believed to be significantly higher because many cases cannot be independently verified.
The war has also disrupted education, with more than 1,700 schools and educational facilities damaged or destroyed.
One in three are still unable to attend school in person full time, while children living near the frontlines face particularly severe psychological impacts.
UNICEF and its partners continue to provide humanitarian assistance, psychosocial support, education services and programmes that help children recover from the effects of war.
Strength through sport
Today, Sasha trains for three to four hours a day, five days a week. Her mother believes gymnastics has been essential to her recovery.
“I think that without sport, everything would have been much worse,” Maria said. “She would have withdrawn into herself and been ashamed of her prosthetic leg. But when she competes, she isn’t embarrassed. She becomes much more confident.”
Sasha Pascal’s performance in Times Square.
Looking ahead, Sasha dreams of one day representing Ukraine at the Paralympic Games if rhythmic gymnastics is included in the programme.
Although she admits she still gets nervous before competitions, she has simple advice for other children facing challenges.
“Don’t give up and keep moving forward,” she said. “And don’t be afraid of anything.”
