Solutions from Ukraine: Odesa motorcycle school helps veterans return to active life through adaptive motorsport

20.10.2026, 22:12 rubryka.com

For male and female veterans, motorsport can become not only a passion but also a way to regain a sense of independence after enduring injuries. The team at the non-governmental organization HelloMoto Odesa implements the initiative, helping veterans master adapted motorcycle equipment and return to active life.

The motorcycle school has operated since 2012, and began training veterans in 2023. Instruction relies on the peer-to-peer principle: most members of the motorcycle community voluntarily joined the military and later returned after sustaining injuries.

Serhii Serhiienko, head of the motorcycle school, also possesses combat experience and understands the difficulties military personnel face upon returning. According to him, his past experiences help him establish a common language with veterans attending the classes.

A motorcycle and a friendly community can help restore self-confidence and return to an active life," Serhiienko noted.

He emphasizes that the primary goal of the classes extends beyond simply teaching a person to ride a motorcycle—it aims to help them feel part of a welcoming community. To achieve this, the bikers organize numerous motorcycle trips, including international travel.

Serhiienko has engaged in motorcycle tourism for many years, giving him extensive experience in organizing long routes. This year, together with five veterans, he completed a journey to Switzerland. Over ten days, the participants traveled through 12 countries.

A distinct area of HelloMoto Odesa's work involves adapting motorcycle equipment for people with various physical impairments. In the school's workshop, specialists developed custom designs that allow individuals with amputations or limited limb mobility to operate vehicles.

Among the training participants is a veteran with a double leg amputation. At the same time, any veteran who wishes to join can participate, regardless of whether they had prior motorcycle experience before the war.

"In general, anyone interested can join. We provide the motorcycles and offer training. Later, if they wish, they can consider which bike to purchase. Many of our students had no experience with motorcycles before the war," Serhiienko added.

According to the head of the school, 20 veterans have already fully mastered riding a motorcycle.

Background

It should be noted that Rubryka previously reported how the "Path of the Unbroken" charitable motorcycle expedition began in Lviv, initiated by Ukrainian war veteran and human rights advocate Dmytro Mikhalets. Over almost three weeks, he will travel over 10,000 kilometers across 10 European countries to raise 500,000 hryvnias for VAC therapy units for wounded defenders at the UNBROKEN rehabilitation center in Lviv.

Reports also noted that Ukrainian veteran Ivan Drozd ran 42 kilometers at the Chicago Marathon on October 11. For him, this marks the third marathon in the World Marathon Majors series, all of which he dreams of completing. The man runs in memory of his son Andrii and fellow fallen soldiers.