From the Ukrainian roads to the European peloton.

My name is Kateryna Velychko, and I'm a cyclist from Ukraine. I started cycling at twelve, and at fourteen I moved to a sports school to chase my dream of becoming an athlete.

From the very beginning I fell in love with the sport. I spent every free moment in the saddle — I loved the environment, the speed, and everything connected to cycling.

I began studying widely and earned two degrees with honours in physical culture and sport.

In early 2022 I was in Turkey with the national team. We were forced to move to Italy, and it was there that I saw what professional cycling really is.

Everything was different — a completely different level. And yet, at the same time, it felt as if everything had started from a blank page.

With no language and no connections, we found ourselves in a new environment — and from that moment I decided to dedicate myself to this path. I worked even harder on myself, learned new languages, built new connections, and tried every possible way to grow and get better.

That is what helped me reach professional teams and truly grow over these years: 2023 — the Swiss Continental team Israel Premier Tech Roland Development; 2024 — the Portuguese club Matos Mobility; 2025 — the Spanish team Pafgio Dema.

I began the 2026 season with Pafgio Dema, but I kept looking for an interesting way to spend the next season — and I happened to come across the Flandrien Scholarship Program. I applied, went through psychological testing and an interview, and was selected.

I had no idea this would become another turning point in my life — because so much truly changed.

In mid-May I arrived in Belgium, the heart of cycling, and started racing here.

The most exciting part is that, as part of the scholarship program, we work on improving ourselves as racers and growing as individuals. Meetings with professors, athletes and simply wonderful people leave their mark on us — and we leave our mark on this place. It was probably my drive and desire to grow that led to me becoming an Ambassador of the Flandrien Scholarship Program just two weeks after arriving!

What does this mean for me? An enormous honour, even more motivation and desire to grow, and boundless gratitude for the opportunity and the trust — as well as far more ways to help others.

What does this mean for you? Access to Belgian races and extra chances to test yourself in European racing. Access to new knowledge, connections and growth.

A lifelong journey and a relentless drive to grow brought me here. And now I want as many people as possible to become the best version of themselves. That is how the idea for this website — and for my work as a whole — was born. So if you'd like to join our project, I'm always happy to help.