SCHOTT Verena

Classification
S6, SB5, SM6 (IPC, 16 Mar 2021)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (Athlete, 15 Aug 2018)

Impairment Details
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)

General
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)