A 10-year-old Ukrainian refugee and local pupil is “very excited” to fly to Poland to represent Ukraine in gymnastics.
Vladislava Cherkas is one of the country’s top talents for her age and was set to compete in Dnipro before it was cancelled due to the war.
Having fled Kharkiv with her family, they now live in Abbots Langley where she practices in resident Tim Hives’ front room in preparation for the Aurora 2022 Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship in Katowice.
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Her mother Inna Cherkas, 40, said: “She is very excited at the thought of competing again, and is really looking forward to going to Poland and representing her country.
“She was always very flexible, and she was excited to do rhythmic gymnastics. It is a very big sport in Ukraine and every town has a rhythmic gymnastics club.
“She became a member of the Vostok club in Kharkiv. There are probably 200 gymnasts at the Vostok club alone.”
Along with Vlada, who now goes to Tanner’s Wood Junior School, Inna’s other daughter Valeriia, 18, is also staying with Tim and working in a local shop.
The family say they like the area because the people have been “polite, friendly, kind, and very supportive” and the school and supermarket “have been so helpful”.
Tim, whose son has recently moved permanently to Bristol, said: “When the war started, I thought I could donate some money and assuage my conscience.
“Then I thought ‘I do have room’ so I decided I’d offer it.”
The Ukrainian family, who arrived in August, are the second to stay with Tim since the war. The first stayed for a month before meeting relatives elsewhere.
Tim added: “I hope she is very successful in what she does.
“I just wish she had a bigger space because she’s a very rigorous trainer. She trains 15 hours a week online in the front room with her coach in Ukraine.”
The competition, which involves five countries, is set to take place in December.
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