Leading Melbourne-based jockey Craig Williams with a compelling account of his recent humanitarian aid mission to Ukraine – in his own words
After successfully delivering packages of humanitarian aid to Ukraine earlier this year, top Australian jockey Craig Williams and his Ukrainian-born wife Larysa vowed to return, this time going inside the war-torn country.
They also took their four children Victor (23), Allana (19), Oliver (13) and Summer (10), plus Williams’s parents, Allan and Glenda. But this was nothing like a traditional family vacation, and what they witnessed will live with them for a lifetime.
This is the former Melbourne Cup-winning rider’s account of a life-changing trip. For security reasons, Williams has not detailed the names of people and locations he visited.
We went to Ukraine having raised over A$450,000 ($305,000), predominantly from the racing industry and other ordinary Australians who reached out to my project.
As a result we were able to take over 1,000kg of mainly trauma and survival kits and we purchased four vehicles in Poland. We were in six groups and went with our own security and Chris Symons, a former jockey who was filming the trip. We also managed to secure loose-fitting clothing for people in hospital, plus coffee, insect repellant, sunscreen, boxes of Mars bars, toilet paper, water, and eight jerry cans we would need for fuel.
We flew into Warsaw at 6pm and left for Ukraine at 1am but my youngest son developed a stomach bug and my mother had to stay behind with him at that time. We got through the border checkpoint and as soon as we were in Ukraine, we could tell we were in a conflict zone.
We knew we were doing the right thing
We got an amazing reception when we handed over the trauma kits and the other survival kits as well as a couple of drones. We knew then we were doing the right thing.
Our next job was to get some local phones, as we had to ditch our own phones and credit cards, and some fuel. Yet because of martial law there was no fuel. There were exemptions for certain people, but we didn’t fall into that category.
So we had eight empty jerry cans but no diesel for our next destinations, a six- to seven- hour drive away. There were also curfews, and if you aren’t already in the place where you are staying, you cannot enter so we had to wait at the service station.
There we got talking to a Ukrainian. We gave him some Japanese Hi-Chew sweets and a couple of lollies from Australia and the next thing he was our best mate. He was preaching the word of God in Ukrainian. He said to my wife: “Those that have two ears can listen and will learn.”
He then came back 15 minutes later to tell us a tanker from Latvia was on its way and we could pay cash for diesel. So the word of God delivered 140 litres of diesel, enough for the rest of our trip.
Driving around there were people in uniform protecting infrastructure like bridges and railway tracks. The national colour is camouflage green. We were so overwhelmed by the gratitude of the people we met and it wasn’t lost on them that Australia was 15,000km away.
Everywhere is the front line
Before we left Poland we had been told that four missile strikes had landed 400m from the hotel we planned to st
ay in.
We had thought the west of Ukraine, where we were headed, was a safe part of the country but we realised the Russian Federation’s reach is all of Ukraine and everywhere is the front line. We not only saw the destruction but saw children who had lost limbs after being caught up in the conflict.
Although our hotel had had its windows blown out, it was still open. What we don’t realise is the impact of these blasts, even when the missiles hit 1km away. My mother-in-law lost three windows; luckily the glass didn’t shatter on her but it pushed her three metres and threw her to the ground.
Concern we were infiltrators
At every town and village there is a checkpoint. We did get stopped at times – once we explained our aims they were really appreciative. But as we spoke English and dressed differently, there was concern that we could have been infiltrators.
We were staying in a town in the Ternopil Oblast region. I went shopping with my father and Chris and there was an air-raid siren. They locked the doors and windows and closed the blinds.
My wife had gone to a meeting; she called me and told me to go to a bomb shelter. There were rations set up there and bunkers beneath. We were there for two hours after which we were told there had been two strikes, 30km and 70km away.
While I was sitting there, I wasn’t thinking about the race I won or the race I didn’t win. You start thinking about the things that matter most. Was my wife okay? Where are my children? Where is my mum with my youngest son, who were travelling into Ukraine 24 hours behind us?
It gave me a great understanding of perspective and a realisation that if you are lucky enough to have what you want, in situations like this nothing really matters.
Profound life-changing experience
We heard four air-raid sirens during our six-day trip but 30km was the closest any strike got to us. I’ve taken so many things for granted but this was a profound life-changing experience.
Driving through the countryside we could see why Ukraine is regarded as the bread basket of the world, so it is so important to stability in the world.
Before we left one of our team was filming the bombsite and was stopped by police. We were surrounded by soldiers with automatic weapons. They came onto the bus and took everyone's phones; the video was deleted and my wife was taken to the police station.
Putting a target on our back
They understood once everything was explained to them, but we were still stuck on a bus in a foreign country. Your fear level goes through the roof; there was a lot of nervousness. We were given a military escort out and while that sounds great, what it was doing was putting a target on our back.
We were actually really lucky as since we left the country the Russians haven’t stopped bombing. It is a very sad situation, but I am glad we got to accomplish what we did and I got to share it with my family.
We have subsequently seen how our vans have been repurposed as ambulances and have gone to the front line. We have been sent a list of all the things the money raised has been spent on. You just know we did the right thing.
We now have commitments from big companies who want to be involved over the next 12 months when we will be putting together a winter package of aid. I am so proud of what we have achieved.
Of course I was worried about my children’s safety. But by being able to show them that things are dangerous and life is not easy, they now realise that it’s not whether you’ve won that G1, whether you have so much money in the bank or are healthy.
It’s about doing the right thing and helping save lives, even though you are 15,000km away. When I explain how grateful people in Ukraine are to the people of Australia, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I can’t put into enough words the satisfaction this trip has given me.
There is no greater reward than being able to save someone’s life. They are fighting the war for the rest of Europe and the world. It’s right over wrong and good over evil.
Craig Williams was speaking to Jon Lees
• Visit Craig Williams's website
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