Wounded Ukrainian Solider with Prosthetic Leg to Run Tokyo Marathon

From Jiji

February 20 2024

TOKYO – A wounded Ukrainian solider who uses an artificial limb will run next month’s Tokyo Marathon to encourage other injured soldiers and raise money for their treatment. 

Roman Kashpur, one of two Ukrainians using a prosthetic leg who will participate in the March 3 event, said in an online interview that by running the race he wants to give injured Ukrainian soldiers the will to live again.

In June 2019, Kashpur stepped on a land mine and injured his right leg when he was in action as a soldier in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. He had the leg amputated from the calf down in order to wear an artificial leg.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kashpur, 27, has been away from his family serving as a training instructor at the front line.

Kashpur said he wanted to defend his homeland even if he was to lose his life. He said he had thought he might be killed when exposed to heavy artillery fire by Russian forces.