When pursued competitively, sports often consume significant portions of the lives of those who participate. They absorb narratives, time, energy, and emotions, becoming something that resonates within the heart rather than just the muscles.
You encounter people among the players, or if preferred, players among people. Sharing time is often a gift, yet sometimes it leaves a mark on the soul. Do you recall the brief visit of the Ukrainian women’s futsal team to Taranto? During those days, a video message was broadcasted in support of a friend, an athlete, a player—not due to an injury suffered.
The battle she wages isn’t on the court or field; it unfolds in hospital corridors and chemotherapy rooms. Her adversary is stage four stomach cancer. Her name is Taisiya Babenko. Amidst numerous scoreboards and outcomes, this is one of those narratives I cannot allow to fade into the indifference of oblivion.
It’s always challenging to articulate suffering without sounding trite. Even more so to find someone willing to share their story. Because on February 21st, 2024, not only her life but also those who love her were forever altered.
the battle
A gastroscopy marks the beginning of her ordeal. The diagnosis is brutal: stomach cancer. The biopsy confirms its stage four. Yet, her body initially resists acknowledgment; she persists with her training on the same day her condition is revealed. It’s curious how the inevitability of a disease that offers little hope can evoke such determination.
Taisiya envisions a future without the burden of a tumor, where she resumes training and playing. She attributes her resilience to faith—a pillar many lean on in such circumstances. Then there’s the love and support of her dear ones. Her unwavering hope is a testament to her remarkable spirit, one wonders where she stores it within a body seemingly too small to contain it.
She remains steadfast in her vision of a future she hopes will reclaim the time consumed by this tumor. With Ukraine ravaged by war, an online fundraising campaign aims to facilitate her access to adequate treatment.
I posed a question, one that often feels inappropriate but is nevertheless necessary: “How do you maintain such high spirits, even now that you know…?” She spoke of the profound closeness she feels with her loved ones and remarked, “I try not to stress too much, I find it essential.” Why burden an already grave moment with unnecessary weight? Taisiya has found something many seek, albeit in a hospital bed.
dreams
She reminds me of the multitude of dreams she has yet to fulfill. Are we not made of the same substance as dreams? Hers also carry the scent of futsal. Naturally, she desires to live as long as possible and to participate in the inaugural Women’s Futsal World Championship with her national team and teammates. Yet, she also harbors a larger dream shared by her fellow citizens: to witness an end to the prolonged war that has plagued her homeland for what feels like an eternity, depriving every one of their everyday lives.
I inquired if she feels somewhat extraordinary. Taisiya possesses strengths and vulnerabilities like anyone else, buoyed by the affection she’s received over the years. Her resilient outlook on life, despite her circumstances, perhaps renders her somewhat extraordinary.
I hope the day I can embrace her on the playing field, using our bodies comprised of flesh and bone. Yet, I’m grateful for this digital space that has allowed me to learn her story. Funny how we find hope in a better world in such an unexpected place—perhaps where it’s needed most.
Taisiya, I eagerly await watching you compete in that inaugural Women’s Futsal World Cup. I will be on the sideline, just for you. If I had more faith, I would pray for you. I’ll borrow it from someone, if necessary, just this once. With love.
