Oksana Kozyna - Paralympic Medalist, Master of Sport, Badminton,  Spain

Proud to highlight a woman who has persevered through unfathomable adversities, brought herself up from an orphanage in east Ukraine to the world-class sports stage. My WOW Woman is Ms. Oksana Kozina whose limb length discrepancy requires her to use prosthetic in one leg; but this didn’t stop her from trying powerlifting, rowing, karate and swimming before focusing her attention on badminton. Since she identified a goal for herself, Oksana won World’s Para-Badminton Championships in 2022, achieving sport’s first gold medal for Ukraine. This year, she represented Ukraine at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Oksana is impressive and disciplined, both mentally and physically; she continues to show the world that Ukraine can be on the world athletic stage, despite continual russian aggression and terror. When russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine disrupted her life inside Ukraine, Oskana was forced to relocate to Europe where she has continued to train to be able to compete on a global scale. But even this upheaval could not shake Oskana’s resolve; Kozyk continues to embody the strength and perseverance of the Ukrainian spirit. Oksana’s unbelievable journey from orphanage to paralympic champion demonstrates her fierce independence and self-determination, qualities that have shaped her life and athletic career.

Oksana’s success is not just a personal victory; it serves as the beacon of hope for her compatriots, including her family who are living with a constant russian threat. Despite the challenges of displacement and adversity, Kozyk has continued to represent Ukraine with pride and fierce loyalty. Her victories are not only athletic achievements but also symbols of endurance and survival.

Olga Burlyuk - Professor, Scholar, Ukraine Advocate, Brussels, Belgium

I see Ukrainians abroad as a vibrant patchwork, each representing our homeland in their unique way. In my opinion, we all bear a responsibility to advocate for our nation and speak the truth, especially during russia's brutal war against Ukraine, marked by indiscriminate bombings, occupation, and the torture of Ukrainian civilians. I take immense pride in highlighting the contributions of Ukrainian women abroad, committed to helping Ukraine, each making a difference in her respective field and area of expertise. Some women are fundraising, purchasing, and delivering protective gear for the Ukrainian military; others collaborate with prosthetics researchers abroad to support Ukrainian veterans. Some spread the truth about Ukrainian culture on TikTok, while others engage in Ukrainian civil societies in countries like South Africa.

Dr. Olga Burlyuk, a Ukrainian based in Brussels, exemplifies this commitment through her powerful writing, intellect, and razor-sharp wit. Olga doesn’t mince words in her analysis of russian colonial violence and imperial ambitions; she challenges global myths about the russian invasion and Western reluctance to recognize Ukraine's agency. She confronts external pressures on Ukraine to seek “peace” rather than decolonial justice, exposes the problems with explaining Ukraine to Ukrainians living and breathing the reality of direct russian aggression. Dr. Burlyuk is doing her part in the intellectual corners of Europe, ensuring that authentic Ukrainian voices are present and heard in the sea of insidious ‘westsplainers’. I am pleased to see her efforts peer-reviewed and deservedly recognized. I’m also extremely proud to present our interview for the Inside Ukrainian Heart WOW Woman series. Feel free to soak up Olga's wisdom; you’re welcome!”

Arina Gerasimova - Non-profit Founder, Volunteer, Los Angeles, USA

During the last two and a half years of russian aggression, Arina Gerasimova, has made over 20 trips from her home in Los Angeles to Ukraine. Each journey, over 24 hours of flights and a long drive from Poland to the war-ravaged eastern regions of Ukraine, is an opportunity for Arina to bring more than 60 duffel bags filled with protective gear and clothing for Ukrainian defenders. After Arina meets with soldiers for a drop off in the pre-frontal zones of Ukraine, her journey continues to Zaporizhzhia, where she briefly reunites with her family, finds time to support local animal shelters, and plans the next phase of operations of her nonprofit, Brighter Ukraine. Arina’s relentless work ethic and sharp negotiation skills enable her to secure life-saving equipment for Ukrainian defenders through partnerships with American donors. Her refusal to take "no" for an answer reflects the determination of those Ukrainians willing to sacrifice everything for freedom.

Ms. Gerasimova embodies the spirit of the indomitable Ukrainian woman. In addition to managing a full-time career as an executive in a construction company, she dedicates every other waking hour to her nonprofit entirely on a voluntary basis. Together with her partner and a team of tireless volunteers, including WOW Women like Anya Lugo and Yevgeniya Pokhylko, Arina has equipped more than 1,000 soldiers with medical, tactical, and protective gear, and delivered over 500 bags of military and medical supplies—more than 25,000 pounds of aid - directly to the front lines. With their herculean efforts, Arina and her team save lives every day!

Arina, an unstoppable force in her volunteer efforts, for the last two and a half years has set aside her personal goals and dreams to support Ukraine's defenders in their fight for freedom and victory. As I read Arina’s words, I am filled with immense pride. Through this interview, I am privileged to share a story that showcases Ukrainian grit and resilience—a Ukrainian woman in action.

Jana Fourie - Talented Multitasker, Ukraine Supporter, Johannesburg, South Africa

“I was the only person who showed up to the protest that day”, said Ms. Jana Fourie, pointing to a photo where she is standing on the street in Johannesburg, draped in Ukrainian flag. Ms. Fourie, a South African national, supports Ukraine and denounces russian aggression against Ukrainians with her daily work activities and activism. Jana works for a Ukraine-based initiative, Project Konstantin, which helps with evacuating wounded Ukrainian military members from the frontline. Sitting in Johannesburg, Ms. Fourie is helping Ukraine’s resistance effort in its fight against russian aggression and helps rescue and save Ukrainian heroes.

I wanted to understand more about Jana, what drove her to come out and be a solo protester, and perhaps figure out ways to clone her. I firmly believe that if every foreigner understood Ukraine and Ukrainian people the way Jana does, global support and backing would make us bulletproof.

The warm words of introduction about Ms. Fourie were provided by our Ukrainian WOW Woman in South Africa, Ms. Olga Kononenko:

“Let me tell you about Jana Fourie, an extraordinary woman hailing from South Africa. Jana embodies a distinct set of values, marked by an unwavering commitment to confronting atrocities and championing justice. The poignant words of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor," accurately capture Jana’s dedication to effecting meaningful change…” read more here.

Sophie Shuliakovska - Communications Specialist, Disseminator of Truth, Ukrainian In Europe

It is a gift to discover an authentic human who is calmly serving factual information Into the cacophony of online noise. The human I’m talking about is the Ukrainian Ms. Sophie Shuliakovska who, with a soothing voice and in a captivating manner, shares amusing and erudite tidbits about Ukrainian culture, history, cuisine, stories of the renowned Ukrainian philosophers, artists and much more. Ms. Shuliakovska records her videos in English and releases them into the ether, unvexed by the number of views; what matters is that she tries. As a Ukrainian, I applaud Sophie’s efforts to highlight my homeland and as a creator, I appreciate the thought that goes into editing and filming. I also admire Sophie for putting herself out there, talking to the camera, emoting and showing the world her true self; the last part I don’t take lightly because the russian troll army and those affected by the propaganda are vicious and come out in droves. Through all the negative comments, skepticism and whataboutisms, Sophie persists, because she is brave, because information is power, because freedom to speak the truth is more powerful than russian threats and because she is Ukrainian. I am very proud of Sophie and her efforts!

Following the full-scale russian invasion, I am pleased to see Ukrainian creators, activists and foreign supporters unite and cross-collaborate on all platforms as one allied force against the russian aggressor. It’s inspiring to be part of such global effort. Although our niches and areas of focus vary, and we may not understand each other’s tactics, we give respect where it’s due - each other’s concerted effort to show the world our Ukrainian humanity, fundraise and work hard to defeat our enemy and ensure that Ukraine perseveres!

ANASTASIA PIDDUBNA- RADIO PRESENTER, MARIUPOL SURVIVOR, UKRAINIAN MOTHER

From the moment of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Mariupol was being destroyed one block at a time, with people buried inside their apartments, homes and in buildings’ basements. Being on russia’s list of strategic port cities to occupy, Mariupol and its residents received no mercy. Ms. Anastasia Piddubna was due to give birth in Mariupol, in March 2022. When russian bombs began to drop, she was moved to a bomb-shelter of the Maternity Hospital No. 3 in the Mariupol city center. The sequence of events in “20 Days in Mariupol”, the Ukrainian filmmakers’ capture of the aftermath of the russian bombing of the Maternity Hospital No. 3 and Ms. Piddubna’s ordeal coincide - they show Anastasia and her family members in the mere minutes after the explosion.

Interview with Ms. Anastasia Piddubna was conducted remotely. She has so far been an exception to the Inside Ukraine project, where all interviewees live on the territory of Ukraine. Ms. Piddubna’s astonishing circumstance have led her to Europe, and not by choice. Her story is so compelling that I was inspired to create an Inside Ukrainian Heart split to my coverage of Ukrainian WOW Women. Anastasia is an exceptional woman and although she resides abroad, she lives and breathes Ukraine, going to extraordinary lengths to help our nation remain in the spotlight, persevere through russian attacks and continue to seek justice on an international scale. Anastasia’s courage, willpower and her incredible nerves of steel should give us all courage to stand up against barbarism that russian federation seems to sew not only in Ukraine but all over the world.

NEW STORIES, TO BE POSTED.

Read more about WOW Woman work in Ukraine here.