Kostomarov, the slow return to life: he pedals on a stationary bike and shows his leg prostheses

The ordeal of Roman KostomarovRussian gold ice skater a Turin 2006 in dance, it had begun last January, when he was hospitalized in intensive care following pneumonia. Kostomarov, who had underestimated his health problems, training in low temperatures for his new ice show, immediately went into a pharmacological coma: later, due to circulation problems, the doctors were forced to amputate both of his feet. As if that weren’t enough, then came the cerebral spasms, and the need to amputate even some fingers, to prevent the situation from evolving into septicemia. Waking up from the coma was traumatic: realizing his situation, the skater had also had violent reactions towards his wife.

Now the situation seems to have improved markedly. The 46-year-old has begun a recovery journey, with special physical therapy. And a few days ago, on June 26, Kostomarov posted a training video on his Instagram profile. In the video, the former athlete can be seen pedaling on the exercise bike with music in the background and a renewed faith in the future. “Wait for me, I’m getting better,” he said from his hospital bed some time ago. Now his challenge against life seems for the first time about to be won. “Let’s keep going,” he mumbles too as he pedals, looking down at his lower limb prostheses. “The hardest part starts now…but that’s life,” he added.