Olympic stars collect donations for Ukrainian optics sailors: "Unfortunately, they can't go home"

Pavlo Dontsov was training with a group of young Ukrainian optics sailors in Spain when the children and young people's home country was attacked and war broke out. In this almost unimaginable situation, the coach kept the small group together. A wave of willingness to help has since carried the youngsters to Lake Garda in Italy. There, five-time Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt from Brazil, his Lithuanian wife Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt, the Lake Garda association Circolo Vela Torbole and many other supporters are now helping the young team, who are unable to return home to their families and friends and have long since run out of financial reserves.

Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt, 2008 Olympic silver medallist in the Laser Radial, has launched a fundraising campaign. The first donor was her husband Robert Scheidt, who himself embarked on a global career in the Opti as a nine-year-old, during the course of which he rose to become the best laser sailor in the world, twice became Olympic champion and won a total of five Olympic medals. The Scheidts live on Lake Garda, have two sons of Opti age themselves and, together with sailors and friends in Italy and abroad, are committed to helping the uprooted Ukrainian sailing group.

Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt writes in their appeal for donations (please click!) among others:"The Circolo Vela Torbole helps them with accommodation and club catering during the regatta (Red.: Centenary Regatta). Unfortunately, they can't go home afterwards and their financial reserves are exhausted. At the moment there is no one here from Ukraine who could help them. I am making a kind request to sailors, friends and people who like the sport and know how important it is for the children to keep their dreams and goals alive: Let's help them today. A little help from you can change their future for the better. My goal is to help these children so that they can sail for the rest of the season. All support will go towards food, fuel and accommodation for the team over the coming months. The team currently has eight sailors. More children are trying to cross the Ukrainian border and will join coach Pavlo Dontov's group because they have nowhere else to go. Pavlo wants to help as many children as possible and distract them from the disaster in their home country. At the moment, they have a bus with a trailer and their boats. Most of the children are from the Odessa region, but some are also from Kiev. All donations go to the coach Pavlo Dontsov, who looks after the children around the clock. NO WAR! Thank you!"

Among the eight team members of the Ukrainian Opti group are seven Ukrainian children aged between nine and 15 as well as 18-year-old Ilca 7 sailor Oskar Madonich. The team also includes 14-year-old Sviatoslav Madonich, who came fifth out of 532 participants at the Palamos Optimist Trophy in February. Just a few weeks ago, when all seemed well with the world in Spain, Robert Scheidt sent his personal congratulations. His son Erik had also taken part in the Opti-Summit and had sailed to 13th place. Now the young sailors will meet again - under completely different conditions - on Lake Garda. They will sail against each other and with each other, but above all they will be there for each other.