How World Jewish Relief helped Ukrainian doctor get to Olympics

A Ukrainian national judo team doctor has made it to the Paris Olympics — thanks to an extraordinary support programme for refugees in the UK, run by World Jewish Relief.

Vitalii Sazonov, 39, and his wife Mariia, 37, were living in Irpin, near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, with their three children —Polina, 14, Dima, eight, and Yeseniia, six — when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

In fact Dr Sazonov was not with his family at the time, but was at a training camp in Spain. After anxious days of separation, the family was first reunited in Czechia in March 2022, before reaching the UK on August 6 of that year, via the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Initially the Sazonovs, who are not Jewish, were taken in by a host family in the Cotswolds, where they have now made their home. But the Ukrainian nationals were faced with the huge challenge of rebuilding their lives — and this is where World Jewish Relief was able to provide on-the-spot, practical help, with its STEP Ukraine, its specialist training and employment programme.

Mariia Sazonov took part in the programme first. Funded by the British government, STEP Ukraine gives each participant an employment adviser and teaches them English. To date, the WJR programme has supported almost 10,000 Ukrainian refugees who will not return to their country, but will make their homes in the UK.

Speaking to the PA news agency from Paris, Vitalii Sazonov, who completed his STEP Ukraine training only days before going to Paris to work with the five qualified Ukrainian judokas, said he now wanted to be a sports scientist in the UK, having specialised in sports medicine in Ukraine and previously working part-time at Irpin Children’s and Youth Sports School.

“I always wanted to help young sportspeople and I was very proud of my job, but the whole wing of the sports school was destroyed by Russians,” he said.

“I can now say that my family are happy and all my children go to school and play sports like football, rugby and tennis and they have made new friends.

“They speak English very well and some British people have said my youngest daughter speaks with a Cotswolds accent like a native.”

STEP Ukraine is now one of WJR’s flagship programmes. It is designed to help Ukrainians displaced by war find meaningful employment in the UK and improve their English. The programme includes an intensive 10 weeks of daily English classes, and 12 weeks of weekly employment support with a dedicated employment adviser, supporting with CV writing, job applications, interview prep, job research, and specialist workshops.

Paul Anticoni, WJR’s chief executive, told Jewish News: “At World Jewish Relief, we are honoured to support individuals like Vitalii through our STEP Ukraine programme, helping them rebuild their lives in the UK. Despite the immense challenges he faced, Vitalii’s dedication to his family and his profession as a doctor is truly inspiring. Our work is grounded in 91 years of experience, assisting those displaced by conflict and persecution, and Vitalii’s story echoes our commitment to providing hope and opportunity to those in need.”

A WJR spokesman added: “Nearly 100 years ago, World Jewish Relief helped 10,000 Jewish children escape the horrors of Nazi Europe through the Kindertransport. Today, it has supported 10,000 Ukrainian refugees through STEP Ukraine. This historic parallel underscores World Jewish Relief’s enduring commitment to supporting those impacted by conflict, crisis and disaster”.