At least 50,000 Ukrainians have lost limbs in nearly three years of war according to the Ukrainian Health Ministry - both soldiers and civilians.

“Some people have double, triple, quadruple amputations. All these people will need prosthetics, or some will use wheelchairs,” says Olga Rudnieva, CEO and co-founder of the Superhumans Center.

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With more than one million people on the front line, Rudnieva says, Ukraine will become “the country of people with disabilities”.

“We want to normalise disability. OK, that’s how the country is going to look,” she says, describing the thinking behind her centre.

“Most of the people here at the centre shouldn’t be alive. The fact that they are is a miracle in itself.”

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Rudnieva co-founded the centre amid the Russian missile attacks that have rained down on the country since February 2022. Some people called her “crazy” but she went ahead anyway.

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Her partners and team raised funds all over the world for high-quality prosthetics and reconstructive surgery. Her passionate presentation, explaining how injuries can be empowering, turned some celebrities into Superhumans supporters, including British adventurer Bear Grylls, Virgin boss Richard Branson, singer Sting and actress Trudie Styler.

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