Adaptive Sports and Veterans’ Integration Festival in Zhytomyr
On 21 August 2026, an adaptive sports and veterans’ integration festival was held in Zhytomyr, bringing together more than 150 veterans, their families, representatives of local authorities and civil society organisations, coaches, and specialists in physical and sports rehabilitation.
The festival aimed to promote adaptive sports as an important element of comprehensive support for veterans, helping them regain physical fitness, rebuild social connections and actively participate in the life of their local communities.
For people returning from war after experiencing injuries, trauma and prolonged physical and psychological strain, physical activity can be an important part of the process of returning to social life. Regular exercise can help improve physical fitness and self-confidence, build relationships with others, and regain a sense of activity and agency.
The development of physical and sports rehabilitation and adaptive sports is one of the areas of the Solidarity Fund PL’s work in Ukraine under the PRO_MentalHealth psychosocial programme. In the 18 communities across five Ukrainian regions where PRO_MentalHealth Psychosocial Support Centres operate, veterans, service members and families affected by the war can access comprehensive support, including psychological and psychiatric assistance, social support, and physical and sports rehabilitation.
Cooperation to promote adaptive sports
An important part of the festival was the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between SFPL and the State Agency for Mass Sports of Ukraine to promote the development of adaptive sports.
The partnership will support the development of adaptive sports in local communities and create opportunities for veterans, people with disabilities and other groups requiring additional support to take part in physical activity. The cooperation will also help promote modern approaches and standards in physical activity and sports rehabilitation.
“Solidarity Fund PL has been implementing the PRO_MentalHealth programme since 2023. Today, it operates in five regions of Ukraine and we continue to develop it. Our work is possible thanks to cooperation with many institutions, with people at its heart. Today, we are placing particular focus on supporting veterans,” said Paweł Kost, Head of the Solidarity Fund PL Representative Office in Ukraine.
Sport for everyone
One of the main parts of the festival was a sports village where participants could try their hand at various disciplines, including archery, boxing, jiu-jitsu, golf, table tennis and pétanque. The activities were accessible to people with different levels of physical ability, allowing everyone to choose a discipline suited to their abilities and interests.
The event also featured the “Heroic Challenge”, a competition held in memory of Ukrainian soldier Vasyl “Gazon” Polishchuk, who was killed in 2022 and posthumously awarded the Order of the “Golden Star”. The competition was divided into three categories: “Professionals”, “Amateurs” and “Adaptive Athletes”, allowing people with different levels of physical fitness and abilities to take part.
The festival demonstrated that adaptive sports can be not only a form of rehabilitation, but also a space for building relationships, strengthening a sense of community and returning to active life after experiencing war. For the Psychosocial Support Centres, it is another element of a comprehensive support system combining physical, psychological and social assistance.
The project is financed from the state budget as part of the Polish development cooperation programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.