WATZ Lina

Classification
S9, SB8, SM9 (IPC, 12 Mar 2021)

Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency (Athlete, 09 Sep 2019)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (Athlete, 15 Aug 2018)

Impairment Details
She was born without a fibula bone in her right leg. In December 2016 the limb was amputated below the knee. (Athlete, 15 Aug 2018; nwt.se, 02 Mar 2017)

General
OCCUPATION
As a nursing student she undertook internships at the Central Hospital in Karlstad, Sweden. "I spent a lot of time in children's departments, both in Karlstad and Gothenburg as a child because of my leg. The nurses became my friends and therefore I had no problems visiting hospitals as a child, I felt safe. Working with children is something I want to do in the future and I think I could contribute thanks to my personal experiences. I would like to work for a period in a paediatric ward." (kau.se, 19 Jun 2019)

AMPUTATION
Born without the fibula bone in her right leg, she did not have the limb amputated until she was age 20. Having competed at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she made the decision to undergo surgery in December of that year after her foot became increasingly painful. "I was in pain virtually all the time. I knew we had to do something about the problem, and after consultation with the doctor during the autumn, I decided to remove the lower leg. I thought about the complications I might encounter, not least phantom pains. I also had no idea how I would react on a psychological level, as the injured foot has been a big part of my identity for so much of my life. No matter what I did, it would be tough." (nwt.se, 02 Mar 2017)