A Ukrainian retired Olympian has had knee surgery in Dubai to free her from years of pain caused by a debilitating condition.
Larisa Strotskaia, 69, who represented the Soviet Union in the 1972 Munich Olympics in the long jump, said she was “haunted” by pain from severe osteoarthritis in both knees as medication gives her little relief.
Ms Strotskaia arrived in Dubai with her husband, Boris Eremeev, in December to visit their children. It was during their holiday that war broke out in their country.
Her condition worsened after swelling in both legs left her unable to walk, sit or lie down without pain.
Doctors suggested surgery, but the family could not afford treatment.
Things turned upside down for us in this short time
Larisa Strotskaia
“I tried everything from taking pain killers to injections to doing physiotherapy to get some relief,” she said.
“We had come here to meet our children and grandchildren. We were planning to go back to Ukraine in March, but things turned upside down for us in this short time.”
The Ukrainian consulate in Dubai put them in touch with Aster Hospitals, who covered the cost of the treatment.
Ms Strotskaia recently underwent a total knee replacement procedure at Aster Hospital, Qusais.
“We do not have a country to go back to,” she said.
The couple are living with their children and have an extended visa so that they may remain in the UAE.
“The government granted special approval for us to stay in the country for a year,” Mr Eremeev said.
“We had come with some money to spend a short holiday with our children and grandchildren.
“Neither could we afford the cost of the surgery here in Dubai, nor could we go back to Ukraine.”
They have do not know what has happened to their family home in Kyiv.
“We are going through the toughest time in our life,” Ms Strotskaia told The National.
“We have lost everything in our life.”
The Ukrainian national was a track and field coach and physical trainer for 40 years.
For now, she is enjoying the experience of being pain-free for the first time in years after surgery on April 16.
“Now I am relieved. There is no pain,” she said.
“I can walk without pain and I’m looking forward to this. The pain in my knees has been haunting me for some time now.”
Dr Raghavendra K Siddappa, orthopaedic specialist at Aster, performed the four-hour bilateral total knee replacement, exchanging the damaged bone and joint for titanium and cobalt chromium metal implants.
“Post-surgery, she had done well and started walking on the same day,” Dr Siddappa said.
“Surgery is advised only in advanced stages of arthritis, where the entire joint is damaged, [and] the patient finds it difficult to walk, climb the stair and there is no relief with medications and physiotherapy.”
Physiotherapy will continue for two more weeks as Ms Strotskaia gains strength.
The couple were grateful to the hospital and doctor for their “exceptional” support and care. They said they are hopeful about the future.
“We will forever be indebted to all those who have supported us during these times of crisis,” she said.
“The war is getting intense. But we hope to return to our country soon.”
In an emotional video, Ms Strotskaia has a message to the world about the war in Ukraine. “Please help us, the Ukrainian nation," she said.
"Stop the evil, stop killing our people.”
Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
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THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
ATP WORLD No 1
2004 Roger Federer
2005 Roger Federer
2006 Roger Federer
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2009 Roger Federer
2010 Rafael Nadal
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Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
