ILDEM Elif

20 Jun 1995
26
Female
S1
ISTANBUL
 
Turkey
ISTANBUL
 
Turkey

Events and Medals

Records

Record Event Mark Date Location

Schedule

Change
Start Time Location Event Status
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Finished
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Finished
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Finished
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Finished
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

:
RankEventYearLocationResult
World Championships
550m Backstroke - S22019London, GBR1:36.28
5100m Backstroke - S22019London, GBR3:22.52
750m Backstroke - S32017Mexico City, MEX1:35.50
10100m Freestyle - S32019London, GBR3:18.59
European Championships
650m Backstroke - S32020Funchal, POR1:39.07
1250m Freestyle - S42020Funchal, POR1:38.99
:
Travelling, watching films, extreme sports, reading. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2019; cumhuriyet.com.tr, 29 Dec 2020)
:
Athlete, Psychologist
:
Psychology - Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey
:
English, Turkish
:
Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyesi SK [Turkey]
:
Her uncle Dayim Huseyn has served as a wrestling coach at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club in Turkey. (elifildem.com, 14 Feb 2020)
:
She began Para swimming at age 20 at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club in Turkey. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2019, 04 Dec 2017; cumhuriyet.com.tr, 29 Dec 2020)
:
She took up the sport as part of her rehabilitation. "I had to swim on the recommendation of the doctor. 'You can come and swim in our club', my uncle said to me. Of course, at first, we were thinking more for rehabilitation, but when I entered the pool, my coaches always said to me, 'You swim very well, you have to participate in the races'. It was the first time that I met sport in a professional sense. It was a turning point in my life." (elifildem.com, 14 Feb 2020; Athlete, 12 Sep 2019, 04 Dec 2017)
:
To win a gold medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (haberturk.com, 04 Sep 2020; cumhuriyet.com.tr, 29 Dec 2020)
:
Competing at the 2017 World Championships in Mexico City, Mexico. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2019)
:
Turkish Greco-Roman wrestler Cenk Ildem. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2019)
:
Coach Mehmet Fatih Kurt. (Athlete, 04 Dec 2017)
:
"Know me for my abilities, not my disability." [Robert M Hensel] (Instagram profile, 15 Oct 2020)

General Interest

Classification
S2, SB1, SM2 (IPC, 03 Mar 2021)

Impairment Details
She has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease [CMT], which affects the peripheral nerves and causes muscle wasting and weakness. (Athlete, 04 Dec 2017, 12 Sep 2019)

General
POSITIVE EFFECTS
She has spoken about the positive effect swimming has on her physical and mental condition. "Since I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and I am in a wheelchair, of course swimming has very positive effects. The most important thing is the psychological impact. My social life has become more diverse. I have started to look at life more positively. As I feel free in the water, it also reflects in the outside world. Although competing can cause performance anxiety and other stresses we experience in sports, I can say that swimming has reduced the anxiety that I experience in general daily life." (gazeteduvar.com.tr, 17 Dec 2019)

FURTHER EDUCATION
In 2019 she graduated with a master's degree in clinical psychology from Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. "I received training in the field of sports psychology. There are many physically impaired athletes in Turkey. I want to specialise in this field and help them. I try to combine my sports and academic career." (independentturkish.com, 16 Dec 2019; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2020; cumhuriyet.com.tr, 29 Dec 2020)

Legend
:
Gold Medal Event
:
Silver Medal Event
:
Bronze Medal Event
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