LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Olena Kolesnyk is a Ukrainian-born fighter in the Professional Fighters League, and now, one year after the invasion of Ukraine, she says her people are with her every step of the way.
Kolesnyk loves to fight — in fact, she says that's all she ever thinks about. She currently trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and competes for the second-biggest MMA company in the world.
"I don't even like hanging out, I'm too lazy for it," Kolesnyk said. "I just like to train."
But what's compelling about Kolesnyk isn't what she does, or how she does it — it's why she does it. Kolesnyk was born and raised in Ukraine and was in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, when Russia invaded.
Kolesnyk says she found out when her friend called her, urging her to leave the country.
"I'm running and I see people around running with their kids, running with suitcases and then I start to hear alarms, and it was terrifying," Kolesnyk told KTNV. "After one hour, I was in the car and the first rocket was sent near the house I was just at."
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One year later, she says there's not a day that goes by where she doesn't pray for the safety of her loved ones, and that she finds peace In training.
"[Fighting is] a relief for me," Kolesnyk said. "It's a relief, my training — it's like therapy for me. Even if I'm tired, I remind myself I'm doing it not only for myself, not only for my dreams but for my people."
Loren Mack, Senior Vice President of the Professional Fighters League, says Kolesnyk's story is why he thinks MMA captivates so many people.
"It's literally inspired millions of people around the world," Mack said. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't get an email, call or text with inspiration towards hearing Olena's story."
For Kolesnyk, the people of Ukraine inspire her every single day and when the new PFL season kicks off in April in Vegas, she hopes to also inspire her people to keep fighting no matter what.
"This is exactly why when I wake up every morning, I don't need any motivation to wake up," Kolesnyk said. "I wake up because I know right now, my people protect my parents, my country and my land."
