Biography
Impairment information
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
S6, SB5, SM6
Further personal information
Family
Two sons
Residence
Berlin, GER
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
English, German
Higher education
Biology, Education - Humboldt University of Berlin: Germany
Sport specific information
When and where did you begin this sport?
She began swimming at age eight in Wurzen, Germany. "I started swimming late and was blown away by it. I went to the swimming pool to learn to swim and then did not want to leave because I learned to love my sport, it was everything to me." She took up Para swimming soon after her accident at age 13.
Why this sport?
"The first thing I wanted to know when I woke up in hospital was whether I could swim again. When I was released from the hospital and came back to my everyday life, I went back to my old club and they made it possible so that I could slowly start again. And then it developed in such a way that a few years later I went to Leipzig [Germany], and joined a sports club for the impaired."
Club / Team
Brandenburg Prevention and Rehabilitation Sports Association [BPRSV]: Cottbus, GER
Name of coach
Ute Schinkitz [national]; Maik Zeh
International debut
Year
2009
Competing for
Germany
General interest
Hobbies
Reading, spending time with her children. (Athlete, 15 Aug 2018)
Memorable sporting achievement
Competing at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. (Athlete, 15 Aug 2018)
Most influential person in career
Her mother. (Athlete, 15 Aug 2018)
Injuries
She was affected by shoulder problems in 2019 and 2020. (jugendtrainiert.com, 15 Sep 2019; bsbrandenburg.de, 19 Oct 2020)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Perhaps you did not achieve your goal yet but you are again a step further." (Instagram profile, 16 Jul 2018)
Awards and honours
She received the Para Swimmer of the Year award for 2019 at the 2020 German Championships in Berlin, Germany. (swimsportnews.de, 19 Oct 2020; bsbrandenburg.de, 19 Oct 2020; sportfrauen.net, 20 Oct 2020)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (rbb24.de, 07 Jun 2019)
Impairment
She has incomplete paralysis as a result of a bicycle accident she was involved in at age 13. She still has some feeling and mobility in her legs. (hu-berlin.de, 28 Aug 2016)
Other information
RIO DISAPPOINTMENT
Speaking in 2021 she said she remained disappointed that she missed out on a medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She finished fourth in two events, and she used the memory as motivation ahead of the 2020 Games in Tokyo. "My first Paralympics [in 2012] was a dream that I could not believe when I received a medal [silver in the SM6 200m individual medley]. And then Rio was completely the opposite, with the fourth places that I took. Rio was really a point that was very difficult for me. When I train today, I still think back to Rio and want to get faster so that doesn't happen to me again." (athlet.one, 08 Mar 2021; SportsDeskOnline, 23 Mar 2021)
MOTHERHOOD
She has spoken of the challenges of returning to the sport after giving birth and balancing raising her children with training and competition. "It was very difficult to get back into training after pregnancy. It's like two lives, in the mornings you are the competitive athlete and in the afternoons you have to be a full-time mum. It's not always easy, but you grow with yourself. My children also give me a lot in return. They are totally enthusiastic about what I do and are also proud when I go to big competitions." (athlet.one, 08 Mar 2021)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has served as spokesperson for swimming in the German Disabled Sports Association, and as spokesperson for the German national Para swimming team. "As a team spokesperson, I'm there to ensure that the athletes can turn to me if they have problems, with other athletes, with their coaches, in training camps. In itself, it's not an awful lot of work. As an experienced athlete, it's a normal task for me to be there for the younger athletes and to help the older ones if there are problems." (athlet.one, 08 Mar 2021)
Speaking in 2021 she said she remained disappointed that she missed out on a medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She finished fourth in two events, and she used the memory as motivation ahead of the 2020 Games in Tokyo. "My first Paralympics [in 2012] was a dream that I could not believe when I received a medal [silver in the SM6 200m individual medley]. And then Rio was completely the opposite, with the fourth places that I took. Rio was really a point that was very difficult for me. When I train today, I still think back to Rio and want to get faster so that doesn't happen to me again." (athlet.one, 08 Mar 2021; SportsDeskOnline, 23 Mar 2021)
MOTHERHOOD
She has spoken of the challenges of returning to the sport after giving birth and balancing raising her children with training and competition. "It was very difficult to get back into training after pregnancy. It's like two lives, in the mornings you are the competitive athlete and in the afternoons you have to be a full-time mum. It's not always easy, but you grow with yourself. My children also give me a lot in return. They are totally enthusiastic about what I do and are also proud when I go to big competitions." (athlet.one, 08 Mar 2021)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has served as spokesperson for swimming in the German Disabled Sports Association, and as spokesperson for the German national Para swimming team. "As a team spokesperson, I'm there to ensure that the athletes can turn to me if they have problems, with other athletes, with their coaches, in training camps. In itself, it's not an awful lot of work. As an experienced athlete, it's a normal task for me to be there for the younger athletes and to help the older ones if there are problems." (athlet.one, 08 Mar 2021)
Results
Unit | Date | Rank |
---|
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Heat 1 | 1 | ||
Women's 50 m Freestyle S7 | Final Round | 6 | ||
Women's 50 m Freestyle S7 | Heat 2 | 3 | ||
Women's 50 m Butterfly S7 | Final Round | 4 | ||
Women's 50 m Butterfly S7 | Heat 1 | 2 | ||
Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts | Heat 2 | 5 | ||
Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts | Final Round | 9999 | ||
Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts | Heat 2 | 3 | ||
Women's 400 m Freestyle S7 | Final Round | 4 | ||
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Final Round | 2 | ||
Women's 100 m Freestyle S7 | Heat 1 | 3 | ||
Women's 100 m Freestyle S7 | Final Round | 6 | ||
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Heat 1 | 1 | ||
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Final Round | 2 | ||
Women's 400 m Freestyle S7 | Heat 2 | 3 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m Backstroke S7 | Heat 2 | 2012-08-30 | 5 | |
Women's 50 m Butterfly S7 | Heat 1 | 2012-08-31 | 5 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-03 | 1 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Final Round | 2012-09-03 | 2 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S7 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-04 | 4 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S7 | Final Round | 2012-09-04 | 8 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Final Round | 2012-09-05 | 5 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-05 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S7 | Final Round | 2012-09-06 | 8 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S7 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-06 | 5 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 400 m Freestyle S7 | Final 1 | 2013-08-12 | 6 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Final 1 | 2013-08-15 | 2 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Heat 2 | 2013-08-15 | 2 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Heat 2 | 2013-08-16 | 3 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Final 1 | 2013-08-16 | 3 | |
Women's 50 m Butterfly S7 | Final 1 | 2013-08-17 | 6 | |
Women's 50 m Butterfly S7 | Heat 2 | 2013-08-17 | 6 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Final 1 | 2015-07-14 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-14 | 1 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Heat 2 | 2015-07-17 | 3 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Final 1 | 2015-07-17 | 3 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m Backstroke S7 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-08 | 5 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Final Round | 2016-09-11 | 4 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB5 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-11 | 3 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-12 | 3 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM6 | Final Round | 2016-09-12 | 4 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S7 | Final Round | 2016-09-14 | 5 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S7 | Final Round | 2016-09-16 | 8 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S7 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-16 | 5 |