Ukrainian veteran with prosthetic leg runs London Marathon to fundraise for wounded soldiers

Ukrainian intelligence officer and veteran Roman Kashpur, who lost a leg at the front line, ran 42 km with a prosthetic leg during the London Marathon.

During the race, Roman was raising money to help wounded soldiers.

He said on his Facebook page he never stopped during the entire race. Only at the 39th kilometer did he allow himself to walk two kilometers.

"Walking restored blood circulation, breathing became more frequent, and energy gels and tonics returned everything to its place, and the last two kilometers, although I was limping, I made it… advice: don't stop, run, walk, but don't stop…" said the marathon runner.

The 43rd London Marathon took place in Great Britain on April 23. Roman prepared for the race for three months, 2 hours a day.

Roman Kashpur shared that when the race got tough, he remembered his brothers — dead and alive. He also thought about what Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi would say if he surrendered.

Roman overcame a 42 km marathon to inspire other defenders who have lost limbs not to give up. The soldier also adds that he plans to continue participating in races. He says: "The real hardcore Marathon is yet to come."

Roman lost his leg near Marianka, Donetsk region, in 2019 when he stepped on a mine. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Roman and his family were in the Kharkiv region, which was attacked by Russian forces in the first weeks of the full-scale war. He evacuated his relatives from a dangerous area to Ukraine's central city of Vinnytsia, and he, despite the injury, went to serve on the front line. Six months later, Roman returned home and started volunteering.