Heorgii Skochenko 14, male from Kharkiv

My name is Heorgii, and I am 14 years old. I live in Ukraine, in the large and very dear city of Dnipro. There are many important people in my life, but the most important one for me is my dad. He is a soldier and defends Ukraine. I am very proud of him, but at the same time, I often worry when I don’t hear from him.

My family consists of my dad, mom, and my younger sister, Marta. My mom is very strong and kind; she always supports me, even when she’s having a hard time herself. Marta is noisy and often bothers me, but I love her.

In my free time, I like to play sports and spend time with friends. My friends are the people with whom I can truly be myself, and our friendship is very valuable to me. We support each other, especially in these difficult times.

I like to work out because it helps me become stronger—when I train, I feel like I’m overcoming myself, my laziness, and my fatigue. It motivates me.

Working out also gives me confidence. I see results: I can do more pull-ups, hold the bar longer, and complete exercises that used to seem impossible. It’s really cool!

What I also love is that you don’t need any expensive equipment to work out—just a horizontal bar, parallel bars, and the desire to train. I can work out outside with my friends. Training has taught me that results depend only on me. And that feeling is very valuable.

My city has changed since the start of the war. Many people have left, and some buildings were destroyed. And even though it’s a bit calmer now, the feeling of danger hasn’t gone away. The war has affected everyone: we’ve become more serious and mature, even though we’re only 14. But despite everything, we keep going—because we believe that victory will come!

I dream of simply living, studying, making friends, and being happy—just like every child in the world deserves.