ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Susan Prener never imagined that her church in Fairport would become more than a place of worship, but also a beacon of hope.
“Khrystyna [Vozniak] came to us, I would say, about a year ago, because her boyfriend here in the United States used to attend here as a child,” Prener said. “And so they started to come in together. Khrystyna is a tennis professional in Ukraine and she spoke to our J2A (Journey to Adulthood) which is our youth. And they were so moved by her story about her homeland.”
Vozniak’s story is just one of millions of lives irreversibly changed by the Ukraine-Russia war.
“I was starting my professional tennis career, so I went to a tournament in Texas,” Vozniak said. “I played one match, I was about to go to bed and people, my friends were staying with me, said that the war started and clearly I couldn't play a match. I kind of fell out of life with depression, knowing what has happened to my home and my mom calling me and telling me the war has started has been the scariest call of my life.”
Vozniak reflects on the impact this has had on her hometown.
“Some of my classmates fought in the war, some of them died,” Vozniak said. “My neighbor, who I grew up near, is fighting in the war right now.”
Vozniak had returned back to Western Ukraine nearly three years after its invasion, sharing her experience with her community in Rochester since her travel.
“The rockets are flying, so I need to hide,” Vozniak said. “But people are so used to it. When I heard an explosion, I just started crying. But people are used to it. Any second it can be the last second of your life.”
Finding Vozniak’s mission a personal one, she has worked hand in hand with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church to provide funds for the organization Superhumans, a non-profit dedicated to fundraising for the Superhumans Center, a rehabilitation center in Ukraine for adults and children who have suffered life-changing injuries.
“We have so many veterans now in Ukraine, so it's such an important topic to help those people coming back from the front lines,” Vozniak said. “You know, they come back very often without legs, arms, limbs. We need to help them and help them reintegrate back into community and into normal life.”
Using their hands, heart and help for Vozniak’s homeland.
“You live in a war country, your friends are dying and they still find a way to fight and have the spirit to withstand all of this,” Vozniak said. “It's super inspiring to me what my people are capable of doing.”