At a quick glance, he resembles another teen. Yet the yellow and blue bow on the red Sant Andreu backpack signals that this fifteen-year-old’s life is far from ordinary. His pool prowess can astonish even Olympic competitors, and eight months ago he stepped into a car to abandon his old life, uncertain about when he might return home, and he might never see his brother again.
Valeria Zinchenko left Ukraine fifteen days after the war began. He lived in Chernivtsi, in the country’s southwest, until the first week of March, when his family moved on while his 21-year-old elder brother remained behind. The journey, filled with uncertainty, lingers in the attic of his memory like fog. “We drove to Romania and then flew,” he recalls, adding that the trip feels strangely hazy in memory.
He arrived in Lloret de Mar, where the pool was a place of new beginnings. Already training four hours a day in Ukraine with the dream of becoming an Olympian, he jumped into the water to find some normalcy in a world that had shifted completely. “In the beginning it was hard because I did not understand the language, everything felt new and difficult. With the war, training was tough—missing friends and a coach made me nervous for them, yet I kept going.”
Luckily, he could still speak to them daily because his city remained more or less safe during the conflict, with most of its 250,000 residents staying. In Catalonia, barely three months into his stay, he entered the Ciutat de Barcelona international tournament under CN Lloret. World and European breaststroke medalist Jessica Vall noticed him immediately. “I saw him warming up outside the water, practicing typical Eastern European drills. He reminded me of rivals I have faced at the highest levels, and his face stuck with me.”
Seeing him swim confirmed his distinctiveness, and he spoke with Jordi Jou, the coach of CN Sant Andreu, who met Valeria’s family in the club’s inner courtyard. Surrounded by photographs of the club’s Olympic athletes, he convinced them to give him a shot at that hall of fame someday. “I want to be an Olympic champion. It’s my dream. I’m doing my best to make it happen: train hard, never skip, and progress step by step,” the swimmer now living in Barcelona and sharing a flat with other swimmers explains.
“He has a very clear goal and he wants to achieve it,” says coach Carlos Peña. “I tell him he must stay a little ahead of the others, be first in everything. He is always aiming to be the best.” He trains twenty hours a week, Monday through Saturday, and has progressed rapidly since arriving at Sant Andreu. “He has a strong kick and remarkable flexibility. He moves well and that helps him endure. Technically, his upper body improvements are notable since he arrived; he used to sink a bit.” As a trainer, Peña knows refining technique becomes tougher with age, yet in this case attitude matters more than age. “The change came because his mindset shifted: he must change to swim faster.”
When he arrived, his time in the 200 breaststroke stood at 2:44. It has since dropped to 2:39, with the threshold for the next European youth event at 2:33. If he cannot enter the youth category within two years, at age 15 he can try again the following year. Vall admires his drive and urges him not to give up. “I try to help him feel comfortable so he can continue training and reach his goals. The swimmer is incredibly grateful and happy. I focus on supporting him instead of giving directives, aiming to integrate him fully. Sport serves as a vehicle for growth in other areas,” explains the former continental champion.
Valeria has found happiness again in Catalonia, even as she remains keenly aware of the situation back home. “I love Barcelona and Catalonia. I have new friends here. I love this club; everyone is friendly. I love living here. Ukraine will always be dear, but Spain is the second country I hold in my heart.” The young athlete, with very clear ideas, believes this is her place in the world now. “If the war ends, I will stay because I need it. Education and the future in Ukraine will not be the same. I want to finish my training, become a strong swimmer, and help younger children discover how to swim better.”
At first glance, he looks like another teenager. Yet the yellow and blue bow on the red Sant Andreu backpack signals that this fifteen-year-old’s life is far from ordinary. His pool mastery can astonish even Olympic swimmers. Eight months ago, not knowing when he might return to his country, he left behind his old life in a car and never saw his brother again.
Valeria Zinchenko left Ukraine fifteen days after the war began. He lived in Chernivtsi, in the country’s southwestern region, until the first week of March, when his family left, while his 21-year-old elder brother remained. The journey, filled with uncertainty, remains in memory as fog. “We drove to Romania and then departed by plane. The memory of that trip is hazy.”
He reached Lloret de Mar, where the pool was new to him. Training four hours daily in Ukraine with the dream of becoming an Olympian, he dove into the water to find normalcy in a world that had changed completely. “In the beginning it was hard because I did not understand the language, everything was new and difficult. With the war, training was tough: I missed my friends and coach. I was nervous for them… safe.”
Luckily, he stays connected to friends because his city was “more or less safe” during the conflict, and most residents remained. Within three months in Catalonia, he joined the Ciutat de Barcelona international tournament with CN Lloret. World and European breaststroke medalist Jessica Vall spotted him right away. “I saw him warming up outside the water and doing typical Eastern European exercises. He reminded me of some rivals I’ve faced professionally, and his face lingered in my mind.”
Seeing him in the water confirmed his uniqueness, and he spoke with Jordi Jou. The CN Sant Andreu coach met Valeria’s family in the club’s inner courtyard. Surrounded by photographs of the club’s Olympic athletes, he encouraged them to come, hoping Valeria would one day feature in that hall of fame. “I want to be an Olympic champion. This is my dream. I’m doing my best to make it true: train hard, never miss training, and go step by step,” says the athlete, now living in Barcelona and sharing a flat with fellow swimmers.
“He has a very clear goal and he wants to get there,” says coach Carlos Peña. “I tell him he must stay ahead of the game and be first in every drill. He leads and must stay at the top because his mindset is to be the best.” He trains twenty hours a week from Monday to Saturday and has progressed rapidly since joining Sant Andreu. “He has a powerful kick and great flexibility. He moves with ease and that keeps him buoyant. Technically, his upper body has improved a lot since he arrived; previously he tended to sink.” As a trainer, Peña knows refining technique is harder as one grows older, but in this case the change is driven by attitude, not age. “It’s tougher to fix mistakes later, but he altered his approach because his mindset says yes, I must change to go faster.”
When he arrived, his 200 breaststroke time stood at 2.44. It has fallen to 2.39, with 2.33 as the threshold for the next European youth competition. If he does not enter the youth category within two years at age 15, he can try again the following year. Fascinated by Valeria’s kick, Vall encourages him to persevere. “I try to help him feel at ease so he can keep training and reach his goals. He is incredibly grateful and happy. I aim to support him rather than give direct advice, integrating him fully. Sport is a tool for improvement in other fields,” explains the former continental champion.
Valeria’s smile reemerges in Catalonia, even as she remains mindful of her homeland. “I love Barcelona and Catalonia. I have new friends here. I love this club; all the people are very friendly. I love living here. I love Ukraine, but Spain is the second country on my list.” This young person with a clear vision has decided this is where they belong now. “If the war ends, I will stay because I need it. Education and the future after the war in Ukraine won’t be the same. I want to finish training, become a strong swimmer, and help younger children become better swimmers.”