Into a war zone WITH PIZZA

One woman put her life on the line to help Ukrainians

- RUTH ADDICOTT

Sheltering in a basement in Kharkiv, Paula Reid tried to keep calm. The booms overhead were getting louder and she knew the hotel could be hit at any moment. Three weeks earlier, Paula, 56, had been sitting on her sofa in Hampshire watching the news about Ukraine. Now, she was in the thick of it.

As an adventurer, Paula is used to challenging situations. She's swum with piranhas, skied to the South Pole and battled 70ft waves while taking part in the world's toughest yacht race. But she had no experience of a war zone.

Appalled by the suffering in Ukraine, Paula wanted to help, so she signed up to volunteer with the charity Siobhan's Trust. The charity provides support and hot food, including pizzas, feeding more than 2,000 Ukrainians a day.

Inspired by the courage and resilience of the people in Ukraine, she wanted to show solidarity. And having written a book, Adventure Psychology, about how to survive, cope and thrive in challenging times, she felt her skills and 'tough mindset' could be useful. 'I wanted to show that I care,' Paula says.

She packed a bag of warm clothes, along with a toothbrush, head torch and toilet roll. Three weeks later, on 17 March 2023, she was on a flight to Kraków in Poland, accompanied by a fellow volunteer, Mike.

One of her worries was telling friends and family, afraid that they would try and talk her out of it, but they were all supportive. Even her 90-year-old mum, Valerie, understood, having lived through World War Two in London.