A UKRANIAN refugee who lived through “explosion after explosion” has tackled a walking challenge to raise money for her country.
Katya Kudriavtseva and Carol Lidstone, who are staff members at Ilkley Grammar School, walked from Arnside in Lancashire to Saltburn, North Yorkshire, to raise money for Ukraine.
Katya came to the UK from Ukraine in June 2022 under the government scheme “Homes for Ukraine”.
She said: “When the Russian army and hundreds of tanks came to my city, Irpin, I was there, at home, hearing explosion after explosion, knowing that my family and I could die at any moment.
“My friend was injured by a sniper whilst they were escaping from the city, the same day I escaped, as there was only one road left out of the city.”
Katya and her family moved to the countryside. After the Russians left, they returned to find their flat badly damaged by the battles.
All the windows were shattered, the roof leaked through many holes and there was no electricity or water.
Katya decided for her own safety to take up the offer of a home in the UK.
On coming to the UK, she found herself living with the Wearing family in Ben Rhydding.
In September 2022, Katya was employed as a learning support assistant at Ilkley Grammar School.
In September 2023, Katya hiked the Yorkshire Three Peaks with her host family.
She so enjoyed the experience, she decided that she needed a further challenge and teamed up with experienced walking colleague, Carol, who identified a coast-to-coast route of around 130 miles.
The colleagues planned to take nine days, camping most of the way and carrying everything.
The colleagues set out on Friday, August 23, the day after storm Lilian hit.
As a novice long distance walker, new to carrying such a large pack, Katya questioned the challenge many times that day.
Over the next few days, the English weather threw what it could at the pair, as they walked from Kirkby Lonsdale to Ribblehead, to Hawes and then on to Grinton.
Finally the sun started to shine as they walked to Richmond and across the North York Moors. Katya settled into the routine and didn’t want the hike to finish.
The walkers were met for a celebration at the end of Saltburn pier by another work colleague, Emma Trousdale.
After the walk, Katya said: “I look back at the journey, realising that I have walked across the whole country, and I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to do this challenge.
“The more I walked, the more I was falling in love with the British nature, green hills, the villages, the farm animals and kind, smiley strangers.
“It was not just a walk, it was a totally different life I lived and explored for nine days.
“The new environment helped me to see my life from different perspective, leave things that were stopping me and become a better and stronger person.
“The walk was extremely hard for me physically, mentally and emotionally but the positive side of it was worth every step!
“I'm so proud of myself and Carol that we didn't give up and continue our walk even when we were both tired.
“My first three days I was counting down the days but by the end of the walk I didn't want to finish; I didn't want to go back to the reality I managed to escape.
“It's an absolute honour for me to do this challenge for the sake of my country, with the hope to have peace in Ukraine one day soon.
“So far we've raised over £1,600 and I'm hugely grateful to everyone who has donated.”
To donate visit justgiving.com/page/kateryna-kudriavtseva-1720544063952
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here