Roman Kashpur, an active Ukrainian serviceman and amputee, is set to participate in the upcoming 43rd TCS London Marathon on April 23, 2023. Kashpur is a participant and ambassador of the CYBORGs Programme of the Hromadzhyn Charitable Foundation, a volunteer, and a winner of the 2021 All-Ukrainian competitions of the Games of Heroes project. He also holds the record in Ukraine for pulling an AN-26 aircraft (16 tonnes) by a person with a disability.
Kashpur aims to use his participation in the London Marathon as a platform to showcase that amputation is not a sentence, a prosthesis is not a limitation, and disability does not restrict anything. He hopes to motivate others by showing that it is possible to live an active and fulfilling life even with a prosthetic limb.
In addition to advocating for those with disabilities, Kashpur also seeks to raise awareness for wounded soldiers and Ukraine’s ongoing battle against Russian aggression. Running the London Marathon is his next challenge to draw maximum attention to the issues of helping wounded soldiers and raising additional funds for the most modern prosthetics and rehabilitation and social support programmes for people with amputations and severe injuries.
The TCS London Marathon holds the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label Race status and is one of the oldest members of the Association of International Marathons. It is on par with the World Championships in terms of significance, with around 40,000 athletes taking part in the annual 42.195 km marathon race. The London Marathon record stands at 2:02:37 by Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya in 2019.
Kashpur’s participation in the London Marathon is an impressive feat, demonstrating his dedication and perseverance in the face of adversity. He hopes that his efforts will inspire and motivate others to overcome their own challenges and pursue their dreams.
