It’s pretty crazy to see a 14-year-old ripping flips and twists on a snowboard, no matter who they are. It’s even crazier to see a 14-year-old continue to push his skills in a sport despite his family being hugely impacted by a major war.
14-year-old Ukrainian Dima Luchkin began snowboarding when he was eight years old, training for competitions once his father realized he had potential. Due to the lack of competition in Ukraine, he had to travel further into Europe for his first competition (which he won). For over a year, he and his family have lived in Innsbruck, Austria, as refugees of the Russo-Ukranian war.
“Meet Dima Luchkin. At 13-years-old, this Ukrainian snowboarder is living with his family in Innsbruck, Austria, as refugees of war. He’s not your average kid, with skills far beyond his years that have him on a path to potentially become the first Ukrainian rider to reach the international spotlight.“
You can follow Dima Luchik on his Instagram, run by his father. I truly encourage you to do so, it should be pretty crazy to watch this kid move forward through his life.
Obviously, since he’s just 14 (the episode was most likely filmed when he was 13, but he is 14 now according to his social media), Dima hasn’t been given the opportunity to even try out for a Winter Olympics, but he will be old enough by the 2026 Olympics in Italy. The FIS, just for your information, requires Olympians to be at least 15.
There’s no guarantee that he’ll make it, but it sure would be cool to see. Ukraine has only won a handful of medals at the Winter Olympics in the past, and they’ve never sent a snowboarder. We wish him the best of luck in his journey to 2026.
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Image Credit: Burton via YouTube