Serhii Yemelianov

Serhii is a Ukrainian paracanoe athlete. He has always been passionate about sports. As a youth, he played football, practiced gymnastics, and enjoyed canoeing. In the summer of 2007, his life changed forever. While jumping off a train, his foot slipped, and he fell between the rails. The train ran over his leg, and due to severe injuries, he lost it permanently.

Despite spending six months in the hospital, Serhii’s journey to success was just beginning. He developed a passion for weight training and earned the title of Master of Sport in bench press. Later, he returned to canoeing – this time as a Paralympic athlete. Serhii’s determination and hard work led him to win a gold medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In 2025, he became the European Champion in the marathon distance.

But Serhii’s talents don’t end with sports – he also has a knack for crafting bead jewelry.

The biggest success: Gold medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo (KL3 sprint 200 m), and the 2025 European Champion.

Serhii's advice:

Respect your body, fuel it with quality nutrition, and never give up on your path – strength is born from consistency and belief in yourself.