timeThree years after Russia occupied Crimea, Ukrainian climber Jenya Kazbekova returned to her “favorite place in the world” and set a personal best route on the rock. The key to her challenge that day in 2017 wasn’t scaling the serene, sun-drenched cliffs, but far below. “I turned a blind eye to the things that really bothered me — the Russian guns, the flag, the currency,” she said. This summer, after injury, illness and Covid-19 ended her Tokyo dreams, she was aiming to reach Paris to fight for Ukraine again, while Putin’s full-scale invasion became a living nightmare, forcing her family to Fleeed to England.
Kazbekova’s connection to climbing and Crimea spans three generations. “It’s as natural as walking – I don’t remember ever having to no the climb. It’s just part of who I am,” said the 27-year-old from Dnipro. During frequent family holidays to the Crimean peninsula, her father taught her how to fall safely and turn fear into joy: “This is an important lesson in overcoming fear.”
Her grandmother became a Soviet champion on the same cliffs in the 1960s, while her grandfather ran a climbing camp. Her World Cup-winning parents and coach Serik and Natalia met there, fell in love and own a hotel and shop.
In 2017, Kazbekova decided to climb Crimea again—despite her discomfort. “It feels wrong, but this is my favorite place in the world – how could I not be there?”
As the war in Donbass rages in eastern Ukraine, the former world youth champion continues her family legacy with senior World Cups – including one in Russia, prompting a backlash from Ukrainians: ‘Why are you going? There? They are killing our people! They said. Kazbekova, in a moral dilemma, considered boycotting the competition: “Should I put my career on hold? The world doesn’t care enough to do anything about it.”
She persevered and reached the international finals. In 2019, Olympic qualification beckons. But after an intense season, her “battery was low.”
During a qualifying race in Toulouse, she injured her knee on the first climb and has been in constant pain. Kazbekova inherited the courage of her champion mother Natalia, whom she admired as a child because she “performed brilliantly” despite her health problems. “Even if I only have a little bit, I want to give it my all because giving 100 percent is important to me,” she said. “But not qualifying was heartbreaking.”
A year later, her last chance in Moscow ended when she tested positive for the coronavirus. “This is how my Tokyo dream ended.”
Throughout the pandemic, Kazbekova has been exhausted and recovering from another injury. She sought therapy, wondering in her confusion whether missing Tokyo was a blessing in disguise.
On February 24, 2022, “uncertainty, fear, a sense of ‘what will happen?'” surged. Kazbekova, her mother and sister Rafael were training in Kiev. “We were struck by the explosion Wake up and look at each other: ‘What are these sounds?’ ‘ — and then it happened again,” she said. “I was so scared. I was trying to pack my bags but my hands were shaking. It was so surreal. They spent four days driving to Germany and arrived “half dead”. Serik carries the others to safety.
“This is the hardest thing I have ever gone through and I have lost all hope that it will be over soon,” she said, fighting back tears. “Climbing really helped me cope. It was the only time I didn’t feel scared, anxious – I wasn’t updating the news and could take care of myself.
Kazbekova immediately protested that Russians were allowed to participate in elite sports. “It’s nothing personal, I don’t hate Russian climbers – I have friends there,” she said. “But I cannot treat Russian climbers one way and the rest of Russia another way. There is no gray area for me.
At the same time, she couldn’t imagine herself competing. “I wanted to put the whole world on hold, but all you can do is keep going. Life goes on and it’s the weirdest thing ever.
Kazbekova’s results reflected her dilemma. “My head and my heart were not in it. I thought: ‘Why am I still here when people are dying in my country?
European Championships approaching: “My season is going to be terrible. I lost my home. I don’t know if I should play.”
Then, a guiding light emerged: Lebanese coach Malik, who was also fleeing the war. “He wasn’t just trying to understand me or feel sorry for me – he actually understood what I was going through because he’d been through it. He brought me out of the darkness.
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Her perspective changed: “What I did was important – I should keep going, not for myself, but for my country, to give hope to Ukrainians and remind the world that we are still here.”
During the European Championships, Kazbekova fell ill and spent a night in the hospital. She got so disoriented that she forgot to put on her tank top and competed in only an informal Ukrainian T-shirt. She was punished but still made it to the finals, showing resilience and Olympic potential. She finished fourth in the 2023 European Olympic qualifiers, won two international bouldering titles — she burst into tears during the Ukrainian national anthem — and finished second in a speed endurance event (her grandmother was in Ukraine match in Rimea).
Now living in Utah, she’s receiving additional physical therapy, strength training and psychological support under Malik’s guidance. “I feel like I’m on the right path and I’m much closer to my potential than I was just scratching the surface,” she said. “It feels like this is just the beginning.”
Her parents were the “perfect team” in the game, providing “something to lean on” during the turmoil. They moved to Manchester with 15-year-old Raphael, a future Olympic hope. After English classes, Natalia works as a climbing instructor while Rafael goes to school. Despite “struggling a bit with the Manchester accent”, they are adapting – and the weather. In 2022, Natalya, Serik and Rafael will all become British Champions.
Kazbekova’s grandparents stayed in Ukraine (“with my cats,” she muses). Despite the danger, she returned to the Ukrainian Championship and defended her title for the 12th consecutive year – often sharing the podium with Rafael.
“It feels surprisingly good to be home – home is home, but it’s hard to live with the anxiety and fear in the background,” Kazbekova said. She hopes for peace and sovereignty in Ukraine and hopes to one day be able to fly to her home again Beloved Crimean cliffs: “I miss climbing there so much.”
In climbing and in life, she says, “it’s your next step that matters”; both are “never-ending learning processes.” She is considering studying psychology. “No matter what trouble I encounter, I will find a way to turn it around. I will continue to smile.
Kazbekova will seek the opportunity to pay tribute to her heritage, her country and her sport during the Olympic qualifying series that begins this month. She finished sixth in the first of a two-game Olympic qualifying series in Shanghai recently and will be aiming to make the cut if she makes it to the final event in Budapest next month. Qualified for the Paris Olympics. She plans to be there to showcase her heritage, her country, her sport — and her resilience.
“Representing Ukraine in Paris during such a difficult time shows that we will not give up and we will keep moving forward, which means everything,” she said. “The Olympics are a big thing for climbing, but if I make the cut it will be even more important for Ukraine.”
