Lilia Podkopaeva moved the network: her son entered GeorgiaTech

Olympic champion and Ukrainian gymnast Lilia Podkopaeva once again found herself in the spotlight, sharing incredible news about her eldest son Vadim. The athlete published a fresh photo of the boy, which she accompanied with a touching post, expressing her pride for the young man.

Vadim Podkopaev: from school desks to a prestigious university

This year, 18-year-old Vadim graduated from Midtown High School in Atlanta and has already entered the Georgia Institute of Technology (GeorgiaTech). This is quite a success, because this institute is considered one of the most prestigious in the USA.

Historical parallel: living on the same campus

Lilia Podkopaeva shared an interesting story in her post on Instagram:

"28 years ago, during the first Olympic Games of independent Ukraine, our national team was in the Olympic village located on the campus of GeorgiaTech. And today my son lives in the same place. Life sometimes surprises us with its unexpected turns. Could I have imagined then, that fate will bring us here?"

Impressive resemblance and mother's pride

In the new photo, 46-year-old Lilia poses next to Vadim, who is much taller than her mother. Podkopaeva's height is 149 centimeters, which makes the difference even more impressive. Netizens were delighted with the young man's appearance and commented:

"What a handsome man he has grown up to be! Mom has something to be proud of!"

"A very handsome boy, and like his mother like two drops of water."

Perseverance and dreams: the path to success

We will remind, Lilia Podkopaeva adopted a boy in 2006. He was only one year old then, and he was in an orphanage in Donetsk. Since then, Vadim has always been close to his mother, becoming her pride and hope. While entering the university, the young man wrote an essay about his history, where he mentioned his adoption and his homeland.

"I am very proud of my son! This year, Vadim entered the university, and he had to write an essay. He wrote about his path, that he was adopted, what city and country he is from, and that he wants to be like his mother in the sense that if if a person has a dream, then it must be achieved."

Support for Ukraine: family values

During the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, Lilia, together with her children, actively participated in actions in support of Ukraine. Vadym often reminded his American classmates about the situation in Ukraine, talking about the genocide of the Ukrainian people.

Editor: Yana Davydiuk