Picture by Walter Tempelman.
“Go, Vlad!”, is the cheer which echoes across the AV Dash athletics observe in Breda, Netherlands. That is the sound of Vlad Bezghinov’s dad and mom encouraging their son—who’s competing within the 100 metres, 200 metres and shot put—on the Particular Olympics Netherlands 2024 Nationwide Video games. His mom Natalia is grateful day by day that her 14-year-old son can develop so effectively within the Netherlands.
Vlad, who has autism, would not really feel like speaking a lot at present. He’s specializing in competing on this large competitors, an expertise that’s all of the extra outstanding as a result of he has solely been concerned in athletics for a 12 months. Moreover, his consideration is absorbed by the entire exercise round him. “He learns a little bit Dutch at college, however it’s troublesome for him,” says his mom Natalia, who speaks Dutch fairly effectively as a consequence of intensive language classes. Two years in the past, she left Berdyansk, a port metropolis on the Sea of Azov in southeast Ukraine, together with her husband, daughter and son Vlad. “My coronary heart cries once I give it some thought… however I’m additionally glad that we’re right here.”
“He wished to maintain working!”
Her happiness can be a results of how Vlad is prospering within the Netherlands. In Hoogeveen, the place the household now lives, Vlad attends particular secondary training at De Windroos and participates in athletics at HAC’63. “A 12 months in the past he had a sports activities day on the athletics observe along with his faculty,” says his mom. “He preferred it a lot that he wished to maintain working!”
And so, he ended up within the group of A-athletes (A for tailored) at HAC’63, the place Evelyn Bouwknegt is likely one of the trainers. “At first it was after all fairly troublesome, additionally as a result of language barrier. However now he will get on very effectively. He at all times greets me with ‘Hi there, Evelyn’ and says ‘Thanks, Evelyn.’ He’s very well mannered and enthusiastic. If issues do not go the best way he desires, he typically will get offended, however that can be getting higher.”
Picture by Walter Tempelman.
Double the coaching, double the enjoyable!
For a while now, each Tuesday, Vlad has skilled on the athletics membership. And not too long ago, he has additionally began coaching on Thursdays. The coach of the common coaching group for center distance working seen some expertise in Vlad and inquired in regards to the younger runner. “Since then he has additionally been coaching with that group on Thursdays additionally,” says Bouwknegt. “It’s very good to see how the opposite athletes contain him. It can take some getting used to for Vlad, as a result of he might obtain rather less consideration than he does on a Tuesday night, however it’s good to see how he reacts to a high-five from these athletes, for instance. After they see him coaching with me on Tuesday, they greet him and encourage him. Then you definitely see him beaming!”
After Vlad’s first race in Hoogeveen, Evelyn obtained a textual content from Natalia. “She by no means thought that it could be potential for Vlad to take part in a sports activities competitors.” Natalia hopes that they’ll keep within the Netherlands, as a result of Vlad has utterly blossomed.
Because the day involves a detailed, Vlad desires to say one thing. He picks up his cellphone and exhibits a picture, “A Jeep,” he says. “From the police.” On his cellphone, there’s a image of a Lego police jeep. Vlad factors to it and laughs with pleasure. He will probably be 15 years previous on 13 August. Judging by the glint in his eye, it is vitally seemingly that he’ll discover a Lego police jeep amongst his presents when he wakes up that morning!
