The gunshot, which marks the start of athletics races around the world, can be difficult to manage for victims of post-traumatic stress, so much so that Ukrainians have come up with a light system to start marathons.
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A gunshot, even at the start of a race, may be synonymous with “ panic attack or complete despair », Tells AFP a Ukrainian veteran.
So last September 15, for the start of the kyiv marathon (5,000 participants from 40 different countries), the organizers tested a new “starter”.
Named “Start without a shot”, this new system uses a digital sound, but also a sort of arrow that the starter holds in his hand instead of the gun and which changes from red to green to indicate departure.
For former soldiers, this is a welcome development, as it is for psychologists who have worked with runners suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 (three dead and hundreds injured).
“ We did research to compare the consequences of a gunshot to those of this new sound created » for the starts, explains Elena Plakhova, from the race organization.
“ The increase in stress levels during a gunshot was almost seven times greater than with this new sound adds Plakhova, no stranger to PTSD symptoms.
“ I was in Donetsk myself in 2014 (when pro-Russian separatists took control of the region) and I experienced the worst stories “, she says.
“ I remember visiting my mother and hearing a motorbike and, at the sound of the engine, I lay down on the ground covering my head because it reminded me of other things », she adds.
His company is “ in contact » with marathon organizers in Europe and the United States to “introduce and demonstrate” the new starting system.
“ Important start »
For Dmytro Kerbyt, this innovation opens new horizons for PTSD victims.
This 42-year-old Ukrainian soldier was seriously injured in the front, hit by a Russian shell which broke his nose, jaw and part of his teeth.
“ The sound of a gun is reminiscent of combat and brings back memories of places where you may have been injured », says Kerbyt, who has been participating in very long distance races since his injury.
The former soldiers who want to participate in this type of race cannot do so because of the gunshot “, he assures.
“ This is why replacing it with new sound and light panels is a very good solution “, he believes, also emphasizing that the “ veterans feel recognized » by this kind of progress.
Psychologists Holly Aldrich and Janet Yassen, from the American University of Harvard, also welcome the idea. “ Victims are often isolated and apart », Explain those who worked with survivors of the Boston attack in 2013.
“ And this system introduces a change which can make it possible to become aware of others and to overcome differences, it is an important start », They add. “ Being able to run is a joyful moment, which makes us hope that everything will get better, that everything can be as before “, Kerbyt concluded.