FILE–German horsebreeder and former Olympic medalist Paul Schockemoehle AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ
Former Olympic medallist Paul Schockemoehle has brought 80 Ukrainian refugees to Germany to help them escape Russia’s invasion.
The 76-year-old won equestrian team jumping silver at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in Montreal and bronze at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. He now breeds horses.
He is paying for the group to stay at a hotel near his stud farm in northern Germany.
“We picked up 80 people from the Ukrainian-Polish border,” the 76-year-old told Friday’s edition of Frankfurt-based FAZ.
“They are all women with relatively small children.
“We have put them up in a hotel in Neustadt-Glewe” near his stud farm, 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Hamburg.
“The hotel gives us a special rate, but at the moment I’m paying for that,” as well as their food and transport.
The former European individual and team champion says he hopes to inspire others to help Ukrainian refugees.
“Normally I wouldn’t make a big fuss about it, but I hope others will do the same.”
On Friday, the United Nations said two and a half million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24 and another two million have been displaced internally.