Sport Against Pain: Wheelchair Rugby Transforms Lives of CITO Patients and SVO Veterans

Partnering with the professional CSKA rugby club at the "Igra" sports complex, the open session introduced participants to game rules and hands-on experience with specialized sports wheelchairs.

The event's key aim was to showcase innovative rehabilitation options through sports for lower-limb prosthesis patients, including SVO veterans. CITO Rehabilitation Department Head Antonina Potapova highlighted how sports not only boost physical condition but also unlock inner potential, build self-assurance, and foster teamwork and communication skills.

"Sports-based rehabilitation is vital and essential. It enhances physical abilities while opening new opportunities, realizing potential, setting fresh goals, and restoring self-confidence. Wheelchair rugby, as an adaptive sport, improves functional capabilities, movement coordination, body control, teamwork, and communication," Potapova explained.

CSKA's seasoned players showcased contact tackling techniques and wheelchair handling, guiding newcomers through the basics. For many patients, wheelchair rugby marks a crucial recovery milestone, strengthening the body while forging a supportive community.

CSKA's Wheelchair Rugby Project Curator Alana Tskhovrebova noted that many team members are CITO patients now competing successfully, including at the recent Russian Championship. Trainings occur three times weekly, open to any CITO patient.

"We're focused on delivering intensive growth alongside full socialization via away tournaments and public events," Tskhovrebova added.

CITO promotes adaptive sports like cybathlon, sled hockey, and snowboarding. Numerous patients excel in major events, such as the Russian Cup for snowboarders with musculoskeletal disorders and the Moscow Open Cybathlon Championship.

Last year, Rostec partnered with the "Defenders of the Fatherland" foundation to launch the "Rehabilitation Through Sports" program for SVO participants, supplying athletic prostheses and training. By 2028, CITO plans 25 branches across Russia producing prosthetic-orthopedic products for comprehensive rehab, including sports gear. The pilot site is a wellness complex in Kemerovo Region.