Ukrainian war refugee, Riverhead High School student finds friendship, belonging and success in the boxing ring

16-year-old Oleksandr Bodnarik is a quiet boy struggling to find his place in a new and strange land.

Oleksandr, a native of Chernivtsi, Ukraine, came to the United States with his parents and sister two years ago after Russia invaded their homeland.

He is eager to learn a new language, which requires him to learn a whole new alphabet, and he turns to his phone's translation app for help. The language and cultural barriers he faces are making it difficult for the teen to make friends at Riverhead High School, where he is a sophomore.

But when Oleksi walks through the doors of Hill Street Boxing Gym in Riverhead, he is what he is, a man of multicultural friends who love the sport and speak the same language: the language of boxing. I feel comfortable in the circle.

Trainer Justin Matera, a math teacher at Westhampton Beach High School, said he knew the boy was special from the first day he saw him practice at Hill Street Boxing last year.

Matera, who has been working with him since mid-July, believes Oleksiy has the potential to become a champion.

Oleksiy began martial arts at the age of eight and began boxing training at the age of 13, inspired by Ukrainian heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Then the Russian invasion occurred, and the boy's parents sought safety in the United States, where the boy's grandparents already had a home in Riverhead.

The first day Matera met Oleksy, he worked with him for about an hour, observing his shadowbox and assessing his abilities and determination. That night, Oleksiy's father, Halina Bodnaruk, texted Matera and asked if she would teach her son boxing. “And I said sure. And we've been together ever since.”

Oleksiy, who turned 16 on March 30, has come a long way, his dedicated trainer said.

“He competed in front of a crowd of over 1,100 people at the Strong Island Fight Night Series event on January 20th at Stereo Garden in Patchogue,” Mattera said. “He had his mind set. I knew he could be competitive in that fight, and he was.”

“He won a match on February 25th against a tough, tough opponent out of state,” Mattera said. “He recently fought the top-ranked boxer in his division in the Ring Masters semifinals and lost by a controversial split decision, but many onlookers felt he won.”

Matera believes the young boxer is “making it” in the boxing world.

“Olexy never backs down from sparring with anyone. When I tell him I’m taking him sparring with an undefeated professional, instead of being afraid, he gets excited about the challenge. ” Matera said. “Olexi, who is only 16 years old, is mature enough to understand that his challenges will help him grow.”

On a typical week, Matera drives Oleksi once or twice to a gym in Westbury or Freeport for “a higher level of sparring than anywhere else here,” the trainer said. “That's the level he's at right now. He's sparring adults — I mean some of the top amateurs in the state. And he holds his own.”

Oleksiy learns English during the car ride, and the trainer learns about the student: his country, culture, and what inspires him as a boxer.

The two manage to overcome the language barrier. “We've kind of created our own language so that we can communicate even when he's in the ring,” Matera said. It works, he said. Matera laughs. It's like a secret language. He can shout words and Oleksey knows exactly what he is saying, but his words are meaningless to his young opponent in the ring.

When Oleksiy steps into the ring, everything changes for him. His shy smile disappeared and his choir boy demeanor was replaced by a visible ferocity.

During practice with Matera last week, Oleksiy landed a hard punch on the pads his trainer was wearing on his hands.

“He's tough, he has a lot of heart, he hates losing. I can't teach him heart,” Matera said. “I can teach you boxing skills.”

His job, he said, is to teach Oleksiy technique, style and discipline.

“There is no success without discipline,” Matera said.

Matera said the young man was very disciplined and was already making “rapid progress as a boxer”.

He engages in intense training at Hill Street Boxing, competitive sparring at every opportunity, and matches against more experienced opponents. Matera said these will continue to develop Oleksi's skills.

Matera said he is scheduled to face an undefeated fighter in New Jersey on April 28. On May 3 and 4, he will compete in the Junior Olympic tournament at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn.

“My dream is to become a professional boxer,” Oleksiy said after stepping out of the ring with Matera last week. She had just finished hitting Matera's training pads, and the shy smile on her face returned.