Taras Shpuk «Cherep»
Taras Shpuk, a serviceman, well-known coach, athlete, active participant in the Invictus Games movement, former employee of the «Come Back Alive» Foundation, and participant in the Revolution of Dignity, was killed while carrying out a combat mission as part of a special purpose group. He was 34 years old.
Taras Shpuk was born and raised in Ivano-Frankivsk. His life was inseparably connected with sports: he practiced trail running, running, cycling, and hiking. Physical endurance and love of sports became his calling - to help veterans return to a full life through sports even after severe wounds.
A participant in the Revolution of Dignity, in 2014 he voluntarily joined the ranks of Ukraine's defenders. From 2019, he worked at the «Come Back Alive» Foundation, where he became one of the founders of the veteran direction and a driving force behind the development of veteran sports in Ukraine. At that time, the foundation decided to form a veterans department, and Taras Shpuk became one of its first employees. It was he who brought the idea of developing veteran sports and proved its effectiveness in helping servicemen adapt after being wounded. He was also one of the initiators of the creation of the Veterans Forum in Ukraine.
Taras Chmut, director of the «Come Back Alive» Foundation, recalls: «He was, in the literal sense, the «director of Ukraine». He knew everyone, and everyone knew him. Taras Shpuk solved any issue, was always involved, and was a generator of ideas. He worked on the development of veteran sports in Ukraine and was the soul of the Invictus Games. A great deal of operational work depended on him, the team depended on him, and so did their morale».
For many years, Taras was a coach of Ukraine's national teams at the Invictus Games and Warrior Games, as well as a sports manager and team coordinator. He ensured preparation, organized training sessions, communicated with veterans, established cooperation with partners, and took care of equipment. His work made it possible for Ukrainian teams to compete in international competitions, where our veterans won awards and inspired the world.
He was a student of American coach Hanna Walker, and wheelchair basketball and rugby became his personal calling. Taras became the first coach in Ukraine in these sports. On his initiative, veterans with disabilities not only played team sports but also undertook mountain hikes in wheelchairs in Ukraine and abroad.
In February 2022, after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, he remained with the «Come Back Alive» civic organization, where he supplied units and delivered equipment to the front, often under shelling. At the same time, together with colleagues, he saved the national team's sports equipment from war-torn Irpin so that Ukrainian veterans could compete at the Invictus Games in The Hague.
In November 2023, Taras returned to military service - he joined military intelligence. He served there until his last day, carrying out combat missions as part of a special unit.