Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty
Sean McVayand his fiancéeVeronika Khomynshared a moving message amidRussia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Prior to presenting the best picture award toThe Power of the Dogat the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams coach and Khomyn addressed the war in their speeches.
“Before we announce the nominees, we’d like to take a moment to talk about what’s on all of our minds: Veronika’s home country Ukraine,” the Super Bowl-winning coach said.
Khomyn shared, “I proudly stand with my fellow Ukrainians and I admire their strength. They have faced unimaginable adversity with such profound grace and bravery, their fight and the way they have united the world is truly inspiring. There is no place in our world for this kind of violence and our prayers go out to all the lives that have been lost.”
“Even in the darkest times, the human spirit endures,” McVay continued. “There’s a lot to be said for entertaining people, sometimes it’s the only thing they’ve got. All of you in this room have so much to give with that entertainment that you can provide.”
The couple met between 2011 and 2013 while he served as a coach for Washington’s football team and she was a student at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. They announced theirengagementin June 2019.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Khomyn said Feb. 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, was “the hardest day I’ve ever experienced.”
Sheadded, “I don’t know what I feel at this point…But it is anger, sadness, I feel disappointment in the rest of the world, and more than anything I feel guilt for not being able to be there with my family during this time.”
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“In the middle of the night, our city, like many other Ukrainian cities, woke up to emergency sirens, missiles explosions and military aircraft flying through. Our airport has been bombed and completely destroyed,” Khomyn said. “This morning, my brother didn’t get to go to school or go on a walk with our dog, my dad was unable to go to work or even take money out of the bank and my stepmom, who is a nurse at a local city hospital, is preparing to treat our wounded troops. My family is not fleeing Ukraine, because it is their home. Nor should they have to leave their homeland, their parents, brothers and sisters, just to be safe and have a better life.”
She continued, “This is more than Russia invading our beautiful and independent Ukraine. This is a look into our tomorrow, into the world our children will grow up in, and the future of democracy.”
Russia’sattack on Ukrainecontinues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
source: people.com
