From Russia and Ukraine to the UIL state track meet, two pole vaulters find friendship

As the war between Russia and Ukraine rages on, two young women who competed against each other at the UIL state track and field meet have watched news accounts of the bloodshed and horror with distant eyes.

Canyon Randall's Sophia Bush and Monahans' Valerie Hunt, their schools separated by 280 miles, have forged a strong — yet unlikely — friendship through competition. First and foremost, they are humble, dedicated young athletes with roots firmly planted in Texas soil. And they're supported by loving families who have watched them develop into outstanding students with bright futures.

After Thursday's Class 4A pole vault competition at Myers Stadium, Bush and Hunt hugged and smiled while their families took pictures from the bleachers. It was a symbolic embrace from two pole vaulters whose lives began under trying conditions. But something wonderful happened when they were toddlers, and they find delight in telling their stories today.

Friends for life after challenging beginnings

Hunt, who was born in Russia, was 18 months old when she was adopted by an American family 16 years ago. Abandoned by her mother, she lived in an orphanage in Khabarovsk, a city of 643,000. She weighed 14 pounds, suffering from malnourishment and respiratory problems, when her new parents discovered her. There are no records of her father.

Meanwhile, Bush, who was born in Ukraine, was 3 years old when she was adopted by an American family 16 years ago. She and her older siblings Josh and Katy were living in an orphanage in Troitske, a rural settlement of a little more than 7,000, when their lives would change forever.

Bush's most vivid memories of Ukraine were the gray skies and snow surrounding the two-story building that served as their home.

Both Hunt and Bush are now U.S. citizens. And they say they are now friends for life.

After Hunt won gold medals Thursday in the shot put and discus, Bush embraced her and reveled in the excitement of the moment. The golds were something both of them could celebrate.

"There is no reason for us to be rivals," Hunt said.

Neither medaled in the pole vault, where they competed against each other, but that didn't ruin the opening day of the state meet, which was marked by dark clouds and an occasional drizzle. It was Hunt's day to shine, and both families were thrilled for the Monahans athlete.

Crossing paths for the first time

What were the chances of Bush and Hunt becoming friends and competitors? Monahans and Canyon are separated by 279 miles of West Texas desert. It all started at last year's Region I-4A meet in Andrews, 38 miles north of Odessa.

Todd Hunt, who, along with his wife, Cindy, adopted Valerie in 2008, was watching that meet when he got word that one of the other pole vaulters, Bush, had been adopted from Ukraine. Curious, he walked across the bleachers and asked a couple, Dan and Sara Bush, if Sophia was their daughter.

After exchanging pleasantries, they shared similar stories about how they went halfway around the world to grow their own families. Then Valerie and Sophia joined them after the pole vault. The families became fast friends, exchanged phone numbers and have stayed in touch.

Curiously, the topic of the Russia-Ukraine war isn't part of the dialogue the two girls share. Both say their lives began when they arrived in the United States. One might say they are now living the American dream.

"I'm happy to say I'm an American citizen," Hunt said.

Born to be a track star — and valued ranch hand

When the Hunts adopted Valerie in 2008, they never imagined their new toddler would someday become a versatile track and field athlete. She has grown to 5-foot-9 with broad shoulders and strong legs. And she also has developed a competitive streak that belies her good nature.

She was living in an orphanage called Baby Home No. 2 when the Hunts traveled to Russia to meet her. They had seen a snapshot of her when Valerie was an infant but did not know much else about her when they arrived in Khabarovsk. They were told that Valerie's biological mother was 21 years old with blond hair when she gave birth. Her mother was a smoker, they said, and Valerie was her third child. She neither wanted nor needed another child to feed and gave her up to the orphanage, they said.

There were 300 orphans living at the home at the time. "They all had eyes that said, 'Please take me,’ ” Todd Hunt said.

The couple spent more than two weeks in Khabarovsk getting to know young Valerie before they could proceed with the adoption process. Eventually they went to the U.S. embassy in Moscow to sign documents to make it official.

Todd Hunt said it was an eerie feeling to stand in the middle of Red Square. He remembers being fearful of Russia when he watched the CBS Evening News as he was growing up. But there he was, standing in the middle of Moscow, holding hands with a little Russian girl he would bring back to Texas.

"When we landed back home, Valerie was already an American citizen," he said proudly.

He recalls a funny story about teaching Valerie to speak English. When they adopted her, Valerie had heard nothing but Russian, but was not speaking yet. Learning English proved to be a task. When Todd and Cindy spoke to Valerie, they often repeated words, hoping she would retain them in her memory.

"There was a time we put juice in front of her and said ,'Juice, juice, juice,’ ” he said. "She looked at us and said 'cok' (pronounced sock), which means 'juice' in Russian."

The Hunts live on a ranch about 10 miles south of Monahans. Valerie spends much of her spare time tending to the cows and horses. Her father calls her a "sports nut" and a "homebody" who prefers to stay close to family.

Valerie and Sophia met while pole vaulting, but Valerie's best events are discus and shot put. She figures to get an athletic scholarship and continue her education after she graduates from high school in 2025. Her coach, Brian Coker, said she has dozens of big-name colleges interested in signing her to a scholarship, including Texas A&M, Oregon, UCLA, Texas State, Mississippi State, Houston and Princeton.

What makes Valerie special?

"She has a drive about her that goes well beyond the hours that we put in," Coker said. "There's a switch she turns on when she's ready to compete."

From borscht to Big Macs, a different life

Sara Bush remembers the first time she and her husband, Dan, flew to Ukraine to meet Sophia and her siblings. Troitske is only 6 miles from the Russian border, a town that she said "resembled something from the 1950s." Cars and shops were old. There was "solid ice and snow on the ground" the entire time the Bushes were in Ukraine.

"I had never been to a place so hopeless," Sara Bush said. "Food and money (at the orphanage) were always a problem. The place where the kids were living was so small. The girls slept in one tiny bedroom while Josh had his own room."

She recalls that an ax was on the floor near the entrance of the building. It was used to chisel away ice if anyone had reason to go outside. All doors were padlocked at night in case someone wanted to escape. It's unlikely anyone would want to break into the place, she said.

Sophia, who turned 18 last month, was not at the orphanage when the Bushes arrived. She was at a nearby hospital with an umbilical hernia. She would remain in the hospital for three months before she was well enough to travel with her new family to the United States.

"Sophia was so cute with blond hair and big blue eyes," Sara Bush recalled. "There were tears in her eyes. Of course, none of the three (siblings) spoke any English. I think Josh and Katy knew a word or two they had picked up because they were older. At first Sophia was scared of Dan because she didn't understand what he was talking about."

There were a few icebreaking moments that were beneficial for the Bushes and their three new kids. Before leaving Ukraine for the last time, the family stopped at a McDonald's and feasted on Happy Meals. It was the first time the kids had experienced hamburgers, fries and ice cream.

By contrast, the kids were accustomed to simple meals at the orphanage. The staples were oatmeal, rice, beans, borscht and other types of soup. The Bushes said they never saw the kids eat any meat.

All told, the Bushes were in Ukraine for six weeks before they could take the children home to Texas. It was the kids' first trip on an airplane. They flew from Kiev to Paris on a Ukraine International Airlines plane that was so old, there were ashtrays built into the armrests. From Paris they boarded an Air France flight to Houston before their homestretch trip to Amarillo.

Instead of cramped orphanages locked up to outsiders, the Bushes and their three new children live in a three-bedroom home in Amarillo. They enjoy skiing in the winter and rock climbing the rest of the year.

Dan Bush, a freelance writer, has written a series of books entitled "Bella's Adventures." They are fictional stories based on Sophia's life.

"The best part about being here is that I have a caring family, a good future, and I have a roof over my head," Sophia Bush said of her home in Amarillo. "My life is better here, and I can go after my dreams."

So what's next?

"I want to go to college, and I'd like to be a pole vaulter on the track and field team," she said. "I'm not sure where I'll go, but I want to be in a place that feels like home. If a teacher or anyone in the school talks about the war, they all just look at me. That's kind of sad, but I know I'm in a better place."

Competitors for a day, friends for life

After the meet Thursday, the Hunts and Bushes had dinner together at a sandwich shop in downtown Austin. It was the first time the families had spent time together outside of track meets. Valerie and Sophia sat at their own table. Sophia promised that she and Valerie will continue to see each other on occasion after they graduate from high school.

"That's what friends do," she said.

The Hunts and Bushes have already made tentative plans to get together again this summer. They share a common bond very few others have. How many people can say they have adopted a child from Russia or Ukraine?

Later Thursday, after the pole vault, Valerie Hunt was soaking in the success of the day. She came to state on a mission to earn two gold medals, and she did it. She should be among the favorites to win again at the 2025 state meet.

While the stadium crowd dispersed, there were two people waiting for her on the front row. Open arms. Tears in their eyes. Smiles captured forever in their memories.

It was Dan and Sara Bush. They wanted to congratulate the winner of those two gold medals. Sophia Bush joined them.

"Valerie's my friend," Sophia said. "And I love her."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Valerie Hunt, Sophia Bush find common ground in track, life in America