Stamford College student and talented gymnast returns to Kharkiv to compete in Ukraine Championships

In the heat of competition, gymnast Gayane Ovsepyan focusses fully on her routine. In the background, the chaos of war rages.

There could scarcely be a starker contrast.

The balletic grace, precision and poise of a skilled gymnast at work, and the intentional destruction and indiscriminate violence of battle.

Gayane and her mum Natali fled their Kharkiv home, in northeast Ukraine, soon after the Russian invasion and were given refuge in Stamford in May, 2022.

This summer, the 18-year-old returned, to train and represent her home region at rhythmic gymnastics on the national stage.

“Competing in a country where war is going on is very mixed emotions,” said Gaya, who arrived back in Stamford last weekend ready for a new college year.

“It is the excitement of not losing a ball or hoop on the carpet and to perform all your routine perfectly.

“And at the same time fear for your life and the lives of all surrounding people. It’s difficult, mentally hard.”

The bizarre situation was brought vividly home before one competition.

“We went to a competition in Dnipro, and at 5am Russia began bombing the city,” she recalls.

“We heard very loud rockets arriving, not far from our hotel where my team was staying.

“It was so difficult to get ready for the performance that day after such a difficult morning - we were nervous and didn’t get enough sleep at all.

“But we gathered all our strength and made it through. I won first place in the individual routine, and we also became tournament champions in the team routine.”

Having taken up the sport as a ‘very active’ four-year-old, talent and dedication has won competitions and regional titles across Ukraine.

Gaya has also been a finalist at the Ukrainian national championships, while prizes have been claimed across Europe and beyond - Belgium, Germany, Austria, Malta, Italy, Georgia, Poland, Egypt, and Israel.

“My parents decided this energy needed to be channeled in the right direction and brought me into this wonderful sport, for which I am very grateful,” she said.

“When I grew up a little, I began to realise that gymnastics has become not just a sport for me, but the whole meaning of life.”

Despite the bombs, the power shortages and deprivation of everyday comforts that we take entirely for granted, Gaya and her Kharkiv team enjoyed success at the Ukrainian Championships.

In the team routine discipline they were finalists in two exercises, while she represented the region in the individual programme. But there was more.

“This year I received the title ‘master of sports of Ukraine in rhythmic gymnastics,” she said.

“On this wonderful note I completed my 14-year-long sports journey!”

Now her focus returns to education.

Gaya, a second-year student at the Kharkiv State University of Physical Culture in Ukraine, is set to begin a level three diploma in sports coaching and development at Stamford College, having passed level two with distinction earlier this year.

As she continues to wait for a safe and peaceful home to return to for good, sport is perhaps, more than ever, a way of life.

A means of escapism, even an act of defiance - that life and competition goes on as normal in a situation as far from normal as you could possibly get.

Grace in the face of aggression.

“The situation in Ukraine is still dangerous,” she said.

“Every day there is heavy fighting, and Russia continues to bomb our country.

“When the shelling started during training, the girls and I went down to the basement and sat there.

“But when I came here I very much missed home, training and friends, and despite the danger, I was happy to be home again.”