Pidruchny: In the army, I quickly realized that I could do almost nothing. I don’t want to be meat

Ukrainian biathlete Dmitry Pidruchny spoke about his schedule while serving in the National Guard. According to him, he has the opportunity to train, but he cannot leave Ternopil yet.

“There is no set schedule. This is not the usual schedule of an athlete: woke up, went to exercise, had breakfast, went to the first training session, rested, and so on. Still the war. I go to the outfits in my unit. Then they let me stay at home. I relax, spend time with my family, study a little, read and, if possible, train. Cross bike. Although it is physically and morally difficult to combine sports with the service. When you don’t sleep at night, then it’s hard to gather your strength, ”Pidruchny said.

“I can’t tell everything. Let me just say that at first it was very difficult. I even lost 5 kg. They let me go home for a couple of hours. And that, it is possible to tell, went towards. And the last month is easier. Fewer shifts. The wife and children returned from abroad. It was not an easy decision, but Ternopil is relatively calm.”

“In the army, I quickly realized that I could do almost nothing. I don’t want to be meat. Probably more knowledgeable people should fight. Professionals. My friends had the same reaction – a great desire to go to the front line. But then you start asking how you can really help. It’s not just took the gun and started firing in all directions. So everyone should be as useful as possible in their area. Although this is incomparable with service at the front, but work in the rear, volunteering is also important.”

“Athletes, first of all, should glorify the country in the international arena so that Ukraine is not forgotten. Someone will probably run, but whether I can – it’s hard to say. There is no full-fledged training process yet. In Ternopil they are allowed to train, but I still cannot leave the city. So let’s see. Something can change every day.”

Earlier, Pidruchny said that he agreed with the nomination of his candidacy for the post of President of the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine. If elected, the athlete is likely to end his professional career.