Roman Kostomarov. Photo courtesy of TASS
MINSK, 31 March (BelTA) – The figure skater Roman Kostomarov talked to BelTA’s YouTube project V Teme [On Point] about what he had encountered after artificial limbs had been installed. “Certainly, I will never be able to do a lot of things without my hands now. Like tagging behind a boat, wakeboarding or something else, the things where you need your hands. But I can more or less do some other things with my legs as a matter of principle,” Roman Kostomarov said.
“But I feel most pleasure and comfort when I can do some basic, routine things in my daily life without anyone’s help. The rest, of course, is entertainment,” the figure skater said.
“I’m glad that I can work out in the gym, pedal a bicycle or walk on an ellipsoid. Well, in general, that I can train, work out, keep myself in shape, swim. Although, of course, swimming is not so easy because swimming used to be so much easier with hands. My legs used to work and helped me swim. All of that is more difficult now. But at the same time I’m glad that I can move,” Roman Kostomarov added.
“I’m glad that I’m not just stuck at home or sitting in a wheelchair or somehow unable to do something. Even at this level I still feel some pleasure,” Roman Kostomarov shared.
“The most frustrating thing that I don’t have now is my ability to ride a motorcycle. That’s the most dreadful thing!” he admitted.
“I can already manage to accomplish something on the ice because I’ve been doing it all my life anyway. My brain understands everything in this regard. How to do it, where to go, which shoulder to use, how to put the hip, some other things. The absence of main body parts that control the skate after all… They are absent. As a matter of principle, I manage to compensate for it somehow,” Roman Kostomarov said.
