Five young Ukrainian swimmers competing in the 16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) being held at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre between 13-18 December 2022 will be greeted by a sea of blue and yellow when they touch down at Melbourne airport tonight.
Members of the Ukrainian-Australian community in Melbourne are preparing to greet the swimmers at the airport, and are planning ‘meet and greets’ and support teams to cheer the swimmers whilst racing in the competition.
“We want to show these young swimmers that even though they’re a long way from Ukraine, they have our support. They will see blue and yellow flags at the airport when they arrive, and in the crowds during their races. Not to mention they’ll hear our supporters cheering them on in Ukrainian,” said Ms Liana Slipetsky, member of the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria.
“We’re also planning on feeding them some Ukrainian varenyky (potato dumplings) when we meet up at our local Ukrainian community credit union Dnister, who are helping us to host the team. There’s nothing like a home-made meal when you’re a long way from home,” she added.
The continued participation of Ukrainian athletes and cultural performers in international events has been important for morale for Ukrainians around the world.
“Even though Russia has unleashed its brutal war on the people of Ukraine, its sporting and cultural champions are continuing to represent Ukraine on the international stage to show that we are strong and will not be beaten,” said Mr Stefan Romaniw OAM, Co-Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO).
“Ukrainians want to show the world that Russia will never destroy our spirit and determination for a free and independent Ukraine,” he added.
The participation of Ukrainian athletes and performers on the world stage is also important to continue to raise support for Ukraine.
“Every time anyone sees a Ukrainian athlete or performer, they are reminded about what is happening in Ukraine, and what personal obstacles these people must have overcome to be travelling internationally. We want to thank the world for all it has done to help Ukraine, but also remind it that the job is not yet done,” said Mr Romaniw.
Image Source: fina.org
