Ordinarily, the passion Maria Kravchenko has for go-karting would be nothing more than a hobby with a dream. At just 15 years of age, guided and trained by her father Mykhailo, the goal for 2022 was to form an all-girls team ready to compete in Ukraine’s National Karting Championships. But for millions of Ukrainian school children whose lives are jeopardised every day, as explosions and smoke fill the air, this is no ordinary time.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February, Maria’s ambitions have been put on ice. She resides less than 20 miles from the Amstor shopping mall in Kremenchuk, situated in the centre of Ukraine, which was destroyed by a missile attack in June, killing 20 people. Training behind the wheel is impossible. Tracks across the country have been sealed and destroyed, and dad Mykhailo is now absent, fighting on the frontline for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (ZSU), alongside Maria’s uncle, godfather and mechanic.
