The unbreakable spirit of Iryna Klymets | Maurie Plant Meet - Melbourne
Published Fri 24 Feb 2023
Athletics has the power to unite, to inspire and to give hope in even the most difficult of circumstances. And for one athlete, the journey to compete at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne overnight has been nothing short of remarkable.
Exactly 365 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, explosions and air-raid sirens are an all-too familiar sound for Olympic hammer thrower Iryna Klymets.
The 29-year-old faces danger and uncertainty each day in her hometown of Kyiv, but despite the challenges, she has persevered, focussing on her craft and doing what she loves most.
This week, with the help of a generous sponsor, Klymets was able to take respite from the unfolding tragedy, to make her season debut at Australia’s first ever World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Level meet.
On the eve of the anniversary of the war, she threw 67.78m , buoyed by the fight of her nation and the support of the Australian athletics community behind her.
“The journey to come here has been long and difficult. I live in Kyiv, so I had to take a 14-hour train ride to leave Ukraine at this time, I stayed in Dubai before I came here too and there was also the wait for my visa. It’s been long but I am excited to be here,” Klymets said.
Despite the gruelling four day voyage, one that was punctuated by a four hour hold at the Ukraine and Poland border, the travel was a comfort in comparison to life as she now knows it.
“Every day we go to training. We need to keep doing what we are love and show how strong we are. Last week at training, bombs were going off very close to us. We had to finish training and after, we went into hiding,” Klymets said.
Conversations to bring Klymets to Australia first began over a month ago, when Australian Matt Horneman was approached by Athletics Australia to recruit international athletes for the meet.
The pair had first crossed paths at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, when Horneman travelled as the coach of Team USA star Gwen Berry. Through his good friend and mentor, world record holder Youri Sedykh, the pair connected, staying in touch over the following years.
“Athletics Australia asked me to help secure enough athletes to join Alex Hulley and Lauren Bruce at the meet, to ensure the Continental Tour Gold status would apply. Considering the oppressive conditions Ukraine athletes have endured this past year, Iryna was one of the first athletes I reached out to, to see if she was interested in competing,” Horneman said.
“With the support of the meet, I was able to sponsor Iryna’s travel from her training base in Kyiv and with that support, she will stay in Australia until 7th March to prepare for her next competition at the European Throwing Cup in Portugal on 11 March.”
In preparing for the Maurie Plant Meet, Klymets was focussed and determined. While a win at the Gold meet was always the goal, the Olympian said there was so much to prove, not just to herself, but to her family and friends suffering in Ukraine.
“We must always remember we must be strong. I hope that we can show everyone, not just here but in Ukraine, what we are capable of,” she said.
Klymets’ story is one of dedication, perseverance, and the unbreakable spirit of the Ukrainian people.
Athletics Australia would like to show its continued and unwavering commitment to solidarity with the Ukrainian athletics community, and endorses the International Olympic Committee’s position regarding continued sanctions against Russia and Belarus.
By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 24/2/2023
