ENGEL Taliso

Classification
S13, SB13, SM13 (IPC, 01 Apr 2021)

Type of Impairment
Vision impairment (IPC, 01 Aug 2018)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (YouTube, 15 Feb 2018)

Impairment Details
He has 6-8% vision in both eyes. (YouTube, 15 Feb 2018)

General
ABLE-BODIED COMPETITION
He has grown up competing and training alongside able-bodied athletes. He took part in the 2019 National Youth Championships in Germany and finished sixth in the 100m breaststroke, where he was the only Para athlete. Although he has low vision, he is able to see the lane ropes and follow the line on the bottom of the pool. "When it comes time to turn, it's a bit difficult to estimate the distance because I see the wall much later." (osp-rheinland.de, 05 Jun 2019)

MOTHER AND COACH
His mother acted as his coach when he first began competing in Para swimming. "At first I always went to Para competitions with my mother as a 'coach'. But after the first few competitions, my mother was asked by the then coach from North Rhine-Westphalia [NRW] whether he should look after me. After that I was suddenly always out and about with the team from NRW in Para competitions. I liked that very much because I got on really well with all the athletes and coaches from NRW." (parasport.de, 01 Sep 2020)