Several years ago, a tragic incident captured the world’s attention when a mother left her six-month-old son, Maksimka, alone at home, resulting in a fire that caused severe burns, leading to the amputation of both his legs. As a result, Maksimka was sent to a baby house, and his mother lost her parental rights. At the age of two, a family from St. Petersburg adopted him and raised around 4.5 million rubles for his artificial limbs.
Growing up, Maksimka developed a deep interest in skateboarding, and his foster mother, Inna Lallav, bought him his first plastic skateboard. He later attended training sessions with Pavel Mushkin, the president of the city skateboarding federation, who introduced him to skateboarding legends worldwide.
Two years ago, Maksimka met Nick Vuychich, who became a great source of support and motivation for him, encouraging him to believe in himself and his abilities. Maksimka has achieved a lot in skateboarding, participating in competitions, winning awards, and giving demonstration performances at city events. He dreams of participating in the Olympics someday and winning gold or silver medals.
Maksimka’s dedication and passion have caught the attention of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, who posted a video of Maksimka on his social media page with the caption “New favorite skater.” Maksimka has also started his own social media page, where he shares photos and videos of his training and competitions with over 44,000 followers.
Despite facing challenges, Maksimka’s story demonstrates the resilience of the human spirit and the power of pursuing one’s passions, inspiring others to believe in themselves and their abilities.