His life was devoted to sports and to Ukraine. Oleh Voitovych was a name well known and deeply respected in Drohobych, where he lived, in the sporting community of Lviv region, and far beyond its borders.
He graduated from the Kyiv Academy of Arts and worked as a designer. Yet his other true callings were sport and the education of youth.
A kickboxer, taekwondo practitioner, and co-founder of the martial arts club Typhoon, he became a mentor to many young athletes. His students won medals, but even more important was what they inherited from their teacher: a love of fair competition, resilience, and inner dignity. As a judge of the highest caliber, he was fair and uncompromising; as a coach, he was demanding, yet always kind and attentive.
When the enemy invaded Ukrainian soil, Oleh volunteered for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He defended his homeland where the fighting was fiercest—on the hottest fronts, including near Bakhmut. During a combat mission close to the village of Khromove near Bakhmut, Oleh’s life was cut short. He was only 48 years old. Drohobych lost one of its finest sons—a coach, an athlete, a defender, a father, and a husband.
“He was one of the best coaches in Lviv region, the finest referee, the best father and husband, and one of the most honorable people,” his friends and colleagues recall. His composure, his broad knowledge, and his ability to nurture not only athletes but true human beings will forever remain in memory.
The Hero was laid to rest on the Alley of Glory in his native Drohobych. He is survived by his wife, two children, his mother, and two sisters.
Eternal memory to the Hero!