Six years ago, the last time local swim Coach Danylo Proskura visited his Ukrainian hometown, little did he know that it might be the last time he would ever see the country in all its glory.
Now as the Associate head coach of the Golden West Swim Club (GWSC) in Huntington Beach, this Ukrainian native said this week he and his wife Olga fear for their families and friends as the Russian Army seemingly kills indiscriminately and destroy much of the nation they once called home.
“It’s hard to go through this being here,” said Coach Danylo in an interview this week, “because our friends and families are there.” The swim coach said his hometown is a short drive from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that caught fire during an attack by Russian forces.
Coach Danylo, a former Ukrainian Olympic swimmer, was invited to coach in the USA about a decade ago and now trains competitive swimmers, including Olympic hopefuls. The GWSC club of 250 members includes swimmers from Los Alamitos and Seal Beach
Danylo, who said his dad is also a swim coach, began swimming in 1991 and competing in 1993. After winning multiple gold medals in 1500 free as a Ukrainian Junior National, in 1998, he was selected to represent and join the Ukrainian National Team.
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As a professional swimmer, he attended the Zaporizhzhia National University and graduated with a master’s degree in Sports Science and Physical Education in 2004. He became a swim coach/teacher and worked with world-class swimmers and triathletes.
Over his 18-year international coaching career, he trained and prepared Ukrainian athletes for the Paralympics in Beijing and London, the Olympics in Athens and London, European Swimming Championship in Madrid and France, and most recently, the FISU World University Games in Korea (2015). Under his guidance, the athletes earned multiple international and national swimming medals, according to his official bio.
In addition to his success as a swim coach, he also trained triathlon Olympic athletes who competed in the Olympics in Athens, Beijing, and London (2012).
For now, however, Coach Danylo said his thoughts are miles away from swimming. He and his wife have started an online fundraiser to support his Ukrainian family members, hoping eventually to bring many of them to the USA.
“We have been able to put our relatives in a safe place,” said Coach Danylo, noting that his in-laws have been able to relocate to Western Ukraine. “That’s where they are right now, but we would like to get them across the border.”
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“My wife’s parents, Oleg and Valentina, are trying to get to western Ukraine, but the road could be dangerous. Due to the war, they are unable to work and provide for themselves as many of my friends,” Coach Danylo said in his fundraising appeal.
He said his mother-in-law needs treatment “and we are hopeful to be able to bring them [Olga’s parents] here one day.”
Coach Danylo said his father Ivan is still working as a professional swim coach and was working in Oman at the outset of the current war. For now, Coach Danylo said his mother is safe, yet did not want to reveal the location.
“Lots of people are struggling with food and medicine, and we have friends and my even my wife’s cousin, she just had a baby,” said Coach Danylo. “I’m trying to help them because it’s hard for them, even to buy formula for kids.”
“It is very hard,” he said, “so, we are trying to help as much as we can.”
Danylo says he’s “watched in horror” the scenes of Ukrainian destruction that have flashed across the media. “I even saw a pool where I once swam as an Olympian destroyed into rubble,” he said.
Thus far, Coach Danylo has raised about 60 percent of his fundraising goal, even if getting the money to relatives has been difficult. He says he has “maxed out” on MoneyGram and Western Union, so they have begun putting the funds on debit cards and are trying to ship them until he can again send them online.
Dwight Osborne, President of the Golden West Swim Club, praised Coach Danylo, asking “those of who can,” to donate.
“Many of you are aware that Coach Danylo’s home country of Ukraine is currently fighting for its sovereignty after an unprovoked attack by the Russian government,” said Osborne in a statement.
“With the rest of the world, we are watching with horror the tragedy unfolding and the growing humanitarian need as families are being forced from their homes in search of safety.”
Coach Danylo, and his wife Olga, have family members back in Ukraine who are currently in a very grave situation. And we can only imagine what they must be going through monitoring the situation back home,” said Osborne.
“Coach Danylo has dedicated his US coaching career to Golden West College for the last five years,” he said, “tirelessly working with our athletes to continue developing competitive swimmers. He is 100% dedicated to supporting and assisting them in reaching their goals,” he said.
“Our swimmers greatly respect Coach Danylo for his honesty, feedback, and his lessons on resiliency,” said the Golden West Swim Club President.
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“Now it is our turn to support coach Danylo during this very difficult time. We ask that our families keep coach Danylo and his family in our thoughts and prayers as the situation continues to unfold,” he added.
“Golden West stands with the Ukrainian people,” said Osborne. “Witnessing their continued bravery, strength and solidarity only remind us of how important and yet fragile freedom and independence is,” he added.
Local swimmers also said they support Coach Danylo during these extraordinary circumstances.
“I met Coach Danylo when I moved to Los Alamitos four years ago, and he shaped the majority of my swim career, guiding me through many milestones I never could have accomplished without his coaching,” said Kaylah Rhee, 15.
“Due to Ukraine’s current situation, he and his family are experiencing many hardships I can’t begin to imagine,” said Lee, who is a member of the Los Alamitos High School Varsity Swim Team and a Golden West Swim Club member.
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“Coach Danylo has always been there for us, correcting our techniques and consistently available at practices and meets,” said 14-year-old Caleb Sandvig. “He’s been a huge part of how strong of a swimmer I have become, especially in terms of my technique.”
“I believe that our community can support him and his family and I hope that others can come together to help such a great coach,” said Sandvig, who is an eighth-grader at Oak Middle School and also a GWSC member.
“Coach Danylo is the best swim coach I have ever had, and he cares about all of us as his athletes,” said Baron Lemus, 13, an eighth-grader at McAuliffe Middle School and also a GWSC member.
“I know he cares for his family in the same way, but more. Coach has worked hard to get to where he is in his career and his family shouldn’t have to lose everything after all that they’ve worked for. I hope this community can come together to support one of our own during this time,” he said.
Like many, Coach Danylo said he never expected Russia to invade Ukraine, especially with such savagery. “When they started gathering troops on the border, I was hoping it was just flexing its muscle against NATO. And all of a sudden, we get this,” says Coach Danylo.
“Bombs, rockets, all flying. It’s devastating and is just heartbreaking,” he said sadly, “it really, really is.”
Editor’s Note: Anyone wanting to help should reach out to mailisialemus@gmail.com. Here is the link to the fundraiser below:
https://fundrazr.com/b1xySf?ref=ab_3LS0vDe69DL3LS0vDe69DL