ZHANGJIAKOU, China — Valerii Sushkevych, the president of Ukraine’s Paralympic committee, can detect in the pink, swollen eyes of his athletes that they have not been sleeping.
He knows they are overwhelmed by worry and fear over the fate of their families and their country, which is under attack by the Russian Army.
He sees the athletes glued to their mobile phones, clinging to every last byte of internet connectivity with their loved ones before it is cut off, and he sees them wipe away tears before heading outdoors to compete on behalf of their country.
They feel powerless, except in one regard.