The rescuer told how he set a record in memory of his fallen friend
State Emergency Service of Poltava region
Poltava lifeguard Andrii Grechany set a national record by running 21.1 km in full equipment weighing 22.5 kg.
31-year-old Andriy dedicated his record to his fallen brother Mykola Nechiporenko from Dnipropetrovsk region.
“Ukrainian Pravda. Life” found out how the emergency worker combined training and work in the State Emergency Service, what he felt after winning, and how he decided to dedicate the record to his comrade.
Andriy Grechany has been serving in the State Emergency Service since the age of 18, and has been running since he was 6. Back in the spring, he took part in the Kyiv “Intrepidity Marathon” and covered 21 km.
Andriy then dedicated the race to three colleagues from Kharkiv who died as a result of repeated Russian shelling.
“After that I decided that I would try to set a national record. I planned my training to combine training with duty. Of course it was difficult – many emergencies due to enemy fire, therefore, the training was adjusted.
My idea was supported by the management, we discussed it with the organizers. We submitted an application to the National Register of Records, experts processed it and established criteria for us”– recalls the rescuer.
State Emergency Service of Poltava region
State Emergency Service of Poltava region
State Emergency Service of Poltava region
State Emergency Service of Poltava region
State Emergency Service of Poltava region
State Emergency Service of Poltava region
The third charity marathon was held in Cherkasy, within the framework of the RUN 4 VICTORY League, organized by the “Character” sports community and the “MHP-Hromadi” charitable foundation.
Andrii Grechany ran a half-marathon, covering 21.1 km in full equipment weighing 22.5 kg. He was weighed both before and after the race.
According to the rescuer, his equipment included protective shoes, a uniform, a helmet, a belt, gloves, an individual first-aid kit, as well as an oxygen tank – the heaviest element weighing about 15 kg.
State Emergency Service of Poltava region
“It wasn’t easy at all. The weather conditions were probably the most difficult, because it was quite hot. Also, overcoming the distance was made difficult by the ascents and descents.
When I ran, there was a sense of satisfaction that everything was successful, no matter how difficult it was. Character and willpower became stronger than the discomfort, heat and difficulty of the route.” – the rescuer shares.
Andriy is glad that despite the difficulties, he was able to dedicate the record to his fallen comrade 28-year-old Mykola Nechiporenko.
Mykola was the head of the guard of the 44th state fire-rescue unit of the 7th detachment and an honorary citizen of Pokrov. The man eliminated the consequences of Russian shelling in the Dnipropetrovsk region, in particular in the Nikopol community.
On June 8, 2024, he left for a fire caused by Russian shelling, when the Russian Federation struck again. The rescuer fought for his life, but died due to severe injuries. He was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage” of the third degree.
“I worked in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for a while. Together with Mykola, we went to competitions, crossed paths at work, at trainings.
I decided to dedicate this record to him. His wife Alina was at the event. We made themed T-shirts for the event, and my colleagues and friends ran in them.” – says Andrii.
The rescuer is currently recovering from the race, but will return to duty tomorrow.
“Perhaps, there will be recovery by October. And if everything goes well, in mid-October I will take part in a marathon, already without equipment, only with the symbols of the State Emergency Service. I will support the form”– says Andrii.
It will be recalled that earlier, a resident of Khmelnytskyi opened 52 bottles with metal caps with his teeth in one minute, dedicating the record to his brother, who went missing. A man from Dnipro set a world record by pulling a 2.5-ton bus with his beard and dedicated it to the army
