More than a year after fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Max Gandziuk hopes his dream to represent his “new home” in the sport of canoe sprinting will come true.
Key points:
- Max Gandziuk was forced to leave his home in Ukraine last year after Russia launched an invasion
- He moved to Adelaide and won six gold medals at the Australian Canoe Sprint Championships
- The Ukranian community has set up a GoFundMe to help him get to the Junior World Championships
In February last year, the then 15-year-old was living in an apartment with his mother, Svitlana, and grandmother in Zaporizhzhia, a city in south-eastern Ukraine, about 100 kilometres from the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
At the time, Mr Gandziuk was training to make selection for the junior world championship team when he woke up to the news that the war had started.
“We were still there when my city was first shelled by Russian troops occupying nearby villages,” he said.
“The noise from bombs and the warning sirens was so terrifying that we decided to combine with the rest of the family and take turns at sleeping because someone always had to be awake.”
The family were eventually contacted by Ukrainian officials telling all junior athletes to leave the country as soon as possible, so they left Zaporizhzhia by train.
“We travelled in a four-seater train cabin with 12 people inside our cabin and it took about 25 hours before we arrived at Lviv,” he said.
After a few days, the family were taken across the Polish border to a refugee camp before having to leave their grandmother and travel to Estonia where they applied for an Australian humanitarian visa.
Mr Gandziuk and his mother initially arrived in Sydney last year to live with family, before deciding to move to Adelaide so he could pursue his dream.
“It was hard to train by myself without a coach and a training squad in Sydney,” he said.
“West Lakes has the biggest canoe crew in Australia.
“We were warmly greeted by the whole canoe squad here, so we decided to move here.”
One of the ‘most dedicated’ athletes in the squad
The 16-year-old won six gold medals for South Australia at the Australian canoe sprint championships in March, and was later selected in the national team for the junior world championships in Italy in July.
But the Ukrainian refugee could miss out on his dream because his family can’t afford to send him to Italy.
“It has been difficult for us to adjust to life in Australia, and we are still struggling to make ends meet,” he said.
If he is unable to compete in Italy, it could hurt his chances of qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“It’s like my new home now, so I want to be able to race as hard as I can,” he said.
Mr Gandziuk and the Association of Ukrainians in South Australia have set up a GoFundMe page to raise the necessary funds.
Paddle SA Coach, Luke Haniford, said he deserved the opportunity to compete on the world stage.
“[He is] a very talented canoe athlete,” he said.
“More talented than we’ve had for canoeing in Australia for quite a long time.
“He’s probably one of the most dedicated athletes I have in my squad.”
Mr Haniford said that the athlete had been incredibly resilient for someone who had faced so many challenges.
“After being forced to make a big move and ever since he’s been here, he has just hit the ground running,” he said.
“He hasn’t looked back and is always moving forward.”
