JAKOB KEPKA

Pedalling for Amputees in Ukraine

AN INTERVIEW WITH JEFF TIESSEN, THRIVE MAGAZINE PUBLISHER

To say that Jakob Kepka is a serious cyclist is far beyond an understatement. The above-knee amputee pedalled over 14,000 miles last year.

Kepka is a man of purpose, which speaks to those endless hours on his bike… all of them in preparation for his Hoperaising Expedition in Ukraine that he began this summer. His 500-mile cross-border ride from Krakow to Kyiv serves his mission to raise awareness for war amputees in Ukraine. As he pedals through the war-torn terrain, Kepka aspires to be a beacon of hope for those with similar injuries to his own, showcasing the resilience and determination of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Now living in Canada, he is a veteran of the Canadian Army Reserves and the United States Marine Corps as an Infantry Rifleman. Two years ago, at the beginning of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Kepka was determined to go to Ukraine to help, but fearful that no humanitarian aid organization would accept an amputee volunteer. But it did, appreciating that his fortitude could contribute in some way to Ukraine’s survival.

While there, he saw new amputees gazing at his “bionic” leg with wonder. He became determined to help give these Ukrainians every opportunity they deserve to receive the prosthetic devices they need. Upon his return to Canada, he sourced and donated over $100,000 of used prosthetic componentry, including some of his own. He shipped sixteen boxes of hardware to Ukrainian prosthetists to be repurposed through the U.S. prosthetic humanitarian aid organization Penta Prosthetics.

And now his ride, which also serves as a fundraising effort, with the goal of generating support for the rehabilitation of Ukrainian amputees, to ensure they receive the necessary care and resources for their recovery. Just weeks before he left for Ukraine to map out and implement the Hoperaising Expedition, Kepka sat down with thrive magazine to share his story and his mission.

Just weeks before he left for Ukraine to map out and implement the Hoperaising Expedition, Kepka sat down with thrive magazine to share his story and his mission.

Thrive: Before we talk about your Ukrainian Ride, tell us about your childhood.

Kepka: I’m from a small town south of Ottawa. Raised on a farm. My parents were first generation Canadians, post-war refugees. My father was a Polish military man from the Second World War. My mother was a war bride of German background. They emigrated in the late forties and made Canada their home. I was raised in a very European lifestyle. At home, we spoke Polish. He instilled a great love for Poland in me. But I never went to Poland until I was in my late fifties. As a young man, my father kept me from going because I was classed as a Polish citizen and would have been taken into the Communist Army. That’s how my upbringing led me to what I’ve been doing the last few years.

Thrive: How far is it from Krakow, Poland, to Kyiv, Ukraine?

Kepka: According to the route we’re taking, about 500 miles.

Thrive: Why Krakow to Kyiv, especially right now in war-time?

Kepka: A year and a half ago, when I came back from Ukraine from doing volunteer work there, this idea sprouted in my head. I wanted to inspire the growing number of Ukrainian amputees, and raise money for them. I know they’re very short on prosthetics and prosthetic technicians. I’m a cyclist. So, I thought, “wow, a ride would be great. I’ll show them that anything’s still possible.” I want them to see that it’s not your body that restricts you, it’s your mental attitude. And if I can do it, at my age – I’m 67 – anybody can do it. With my contacts from working over there and my Polish friends living in the Krakow area I said, “I’ll cycle from Krakow to Kyiv” because it wouldn’t have any effect if I didn’t do it there. If I did it in Canada, I’d be another somebody raising money for the Ukrainian war effort. But if they see that I’m willing to take risks that a war entails, and that Ukrainian drivers entail, who I’m more afraid of than anything Russian, that will inspire them when I ride through towns and villages. There isn’t a homestead in that country that hasn’t been affected by the war.

This is an excerpt from the full article from our partner Thrive Magazine Canada. To hear Jakob’s story as he tells it, check out his episode on thrive magazine’s podcast Life & Limb at ThriveMag.ca/podcasts/episodes.

“I WANT THEM TO SEE THAT IT’S NOT YOUR BODY THAT RESTRICTS YOU, IT’S YOUR MENTAL ATTITUDE.