American-Ukrainian Singer Kelsie Kimberlin Releases Her New Song 'Champ' On The Fourth Anniversary Of The Full-Scale War

Kelsie Kimberlin's New Video "Champ" Features Ukrainian Karate Champion Mariia Hnes Who Refused To Shake Hands With Her Russian Competitor

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, February 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On February 24, 2026, the fourth anniversary of the full-scale war against Ukraine, popular American-Ukrainian singer Kelsie Kimberlin released her new song and music video, “Champ,” as a tribute to all Ukrainians who live with dignity and principle rather than bowing to terrorists who kill and destroy them and their land. That dignity is shared not only by Ukrainian adults but also by Ukrainian children who courageously stand against terrorism. The music video features 16-year-old Mariia Hnes, a Ukrainian karate champion who competed in Vienna, Austria, against an athlete from Russia. They both won medals and were expected to stand together on the podium and take a group photo. However, Mariia, whose father serves in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, chose instead to walk away, and her principled act of dignity was caught on video and became a viral moment of pride for Ukrainians everywhere.

In September 2025, Kelsie traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, to film a music video with Mariia to inspire the world with the strength and honor of Ukrainians of all ages. She filmed the video over several days in Kyiv during some of the worst missile and drone attacks of the war. The video shows one of those attacks while Kelsie and Mariia are sheltering in a hallway. In the video, Kelsie appears at a time when Mariia needs a confidence boost and becomes her de facto mentor to pump her up to be a champion. The video is being released along with a campaign to support the children of Ukrainian soldiers who participate in sports. Kelsie has created a website at www.UkrainianChampions.com to raise funds for the campaign that will be managed by her www.KelsieKimberlinFoundation.org organization. All funds raised will be used to support the campaign and assist the children. Athletes everywhere are urged to rally around the campaign with words of support, donations, and other assistance to Ukrainian children.

“I have seen how stressful it is for Ukrainian children to live a normal life while their parents are fighting an enemy who wants to destroy them and their way of life,” said Kelsie. “Participation in sports helps these kids have a sense of purpose and direction, and brings pride to their warrior parents.”

Last April, Kelsie received the United Nations Humanitarian Award and the St. George’s Royal Medal of Honor issued by King Charles for her strong support of Ukraine. She has tens of millions of views, streams, and plays on the radio of her many songs and videos. All of her current songs include Grammy winners and nominees in the production process. Her full-length movie about Ukraine, “The Last Message,” www.thelastmessagemovie.com, has recently won numerous film festival awards in the Best Documentary category, and it will be released later this year.

Kelsie Kimberlin
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Champ by Kelsie Kimberlin

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