On January 23, 2025, in Kyiv, the team of CBA Initiatives Center presented the study Joy of Movement: How Adaptive Sports Help Veterans Recover. The study was authored by analyst Yaroslava Bratus. The event was held in a closed format, during which attendees were introduced to a document explaining how adaptive sports influence not only the physical but also the psychological well-being of veterans. This study is unprecedented in Ukraine and represents the first attempt to pilot and collect data on the development and scaling of adaptive sports. During the preparation of the study, the Veterans’ Department of CBA Initiatives Center also contributed.

“Even before the official presentation, our Veterans’ Department team eagerly engaged with the study because factual data in this field is scarce. We aim not only to do what we think is important, but also to build a system that places veterans at the center—their opinions, their well-being—and then provide services that support them. This study is a foundational tool necessary for building that system,” says Taras Kovalik, veteran and head of the Veterans’ Department at CBA Initiatives Center.

The research also explores how adaptive sports can be beneficial for the state, its security, and defense capabilities. Several respondent groups were selected for the study to capture unique experiences in adaptive veteran sports.

The study presentation consisted of two parts. In the first, Yaroslava Bratus outlined the project’s main goals, research methods, limitations, and challenges encountered by the team. Following this, she moderated a panel discussion titled Recovery Through Physical Activity: How to Create Opportunities and Overcome Barriers in the Field. Panel participants included Ruslan Prykhodko, Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine; Matviy Bidnyi, Minister of Youth and Sports; Uliana Tokarieva, Deputy Minister of Social Policy; Leonid Tymchenko, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs; Yulia Koval, Head Coach of the “Hero Games” project; Ihor Saliy, veteran and active serviceman; Ilona Voloshyna, active servicemember and National Coordinator of Invictus Games in Ukraine; and Oleksandr Pakholiuk, Director of the charitable foundation “MHP-Community.” After the official part, attendees participated in a networking session. Over 130 guests attended.

“Adaptive sports are not a panacea but rather one option a veteran may choose for recovery. Not everyone will choose sports, which is an important barrier to acknowledge. The main task now is to create conditions and opportunities so that this option is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of location or resources; whether they choose it remains a personal decision,” says Yaroslava Bratus, author of Joy of Movement.

The study was created with the support of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation as part of the joint initiative European Renaissance of Ukraine. The analytical and veterans’ departments of CBA Initiatives Center thank all guests and partners for their time and shared commitment to supporting veterans.