In May 2022, 10-year-old Sasha Paskal and her mother Maria were at their seaside home in Zatoka, Odesa region, when a Russian missile struck without warning, destroying the house. Maria recalled finding Sasha pinned under a concrete slab, with a dislocated arm and severe head injuries. After 15 days in a medically induced coma, doctors amputated her left leg due to halted blood circulation. Despite this, Sasha returned to rhythmic gymnastics after seven months of rehabilitation, winning her first competition with a prosthesis in Chornomorsk. "My passion for sport is bigger than my loss," she told CNN Sports.