Katja Dedekind

Started: She was introduced to swimming at an early age, and began competing in 2012. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2017; paralympic.org.au, 01 Sep 2016) Reason: Her mother introduced Katja and her twin brother to the sport. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2017; paralympic.org.au, 01 Sep 2016) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (brisbanetimes.com.au, 02 Sep 2022) Awards: She was named the 2019 Most Improved Athlete of the Year by the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association in Queensland, Australia. (sahof.org.au, 10 Sep 2020) She took part in the Queen's Baton Relay ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. (couriermail.com.au, 21 Nov 2017) In 2016 she was named Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association Junior Female Athlete of the Year. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2017) She was named Swimmer of the Meet at the 2015 Swimming Queensland Sprint Championships in Brisbane, QLD, Australia. (paralympic.org.au, 01 Sep 2016) Additional Info: CLUB AND COACH SWITCH In 2022 she moved to the Yeronga Park Swim Club in Brisbane, QLD, Australia, to work with coach Kate Sparkes. Later in the year she went on to win one gold medal and two silver medals at the 2022 World Championships in Madeira, Portugal, and a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. "I knew Kate from the [2020] Paralympics [in Tokyo], and I was, like, you know what, let's just do it, let's just go and talk to her and see if she's up to it, and she was up for the challenge. We took that challenge head on, and I guess this year's results showed that it was the right teamwork. The whole basis of the relationship [is] trust. I remember at [the world championships] sitting down on the floor for the 100m backstroke final and she just came and sat beside me, shoulder to shoulder, just looked at me, and said, 'Have fun'. Then I was just chilling out. I almost dozed off because I was so relaxed. I didn't have a care in the world in that moment. Then I went and raced my personal best and got a silver." (brisbanetimes.com.au, 02 Sep 2022) LEADERSHIP GROUP In February 2022 she was named as part of a four-person Para athlete leadership group for the 2024 Paralympic cycle by Swimming Australia, alongside Lakeisha Patterson, Rowan Crothers, and Jesse Aungles. "I am honoured to be a Para athlete leader and am looking forward to playing my part in continuing to make this team great. I feel as a leader we have a greater role to play in bringing our [national team] family together as there are always ways to make our team stronger and better." (commonwealthgames.com.au, 22 Feb 2022) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied criminology at Griffith University in Australia. (news.griffith.edu.au, 08 May 2023; qld.swimming.org.au, 16 May 2023) POET In 2015 she received the Dorothea Mackellar Multicultural New South Wales [NSW] Award in Australia for writing the poem 'The Open Door'. (paralympic.org.au, 01 Sep 2016)