HAREZA Patrycja

Classification
B (IWAS, 2021)

Type of Impairment
Cerebral Palsy, Impaired range of motion (iwasf.com, 01 May 2019)

Impairment Details
She was born with spina bifida [incomplete closing of the spine]. She underwent surgery but the condition did not begin to affect her until her teenage years. At age 16 she underwent a second surgery on her spine, which resulted in the loss of feeling in her legs. (magazynsportowiec.pl, 24 Nov 2017; iwasf.com, 01 May 2019)

General
FIGHTING SPIRIT
At age 16 she lost the use of her legs as a result of an operation on her spine. She says wheelchair fencing and the support of her family and friends helped her to deal with her impairment. "After this treatment I lost feeling from the belly down. It was a very hard experience for me, I was completely broken, but my family and friends supported me and they encouraged me to leave my house and attend a class for disabled wheelchair users, as well as wheelchair fencing. I started going to camps where I met a lot of people in a similar situation and I saw that they decided not to give up. I realised that I can do anything despite being a disabled person. I drive a car, I do parachuting and I try a lot of sports like canoeing, rowing, archery, basketball, floorball, shooting and climbing. However, wheelchair fencing stole my heart." (iwasf.com, 01 May 2019)

MISS POLAND CONTEST
She has taken part in the Miss Poland beauty pageant in the wheelchair users category. "When I found out that the first edition of the Miss Poland contest for women in wheelchairs is held, I decided to try myself. Many friends and family members encouraged me to do so. I didn't manage to qualify for top 10, but it was a great fun." (magazynsportowiec.pl, 24 Nov 2017)