Svetlana Moshkovich

Started: She began Para cycling in 2008 during her rehabilitation in Heidelberg, Germany. "The German Ottobock Handbike Team took me in and supported me. Cycling as a hobby soon became a competitive sport. In 2010, I gained my first experience in the European Handbike Circuit in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Switzerland." (svetlanamoshkovich.com, 01 Jan 2024; ottobock.com, 2012) Reason: She met members of the Team Ottobock handcycling team, who introduced her to the sport. "When I was lucky enough to be able to come to Germany in 2007 for another spinal operation thanks to a charity, it was a life-changing experience for me: I can be independent even in a wheelchair. Since then, it was clear to me where I wanted to spend my future. Here, even as a wheelchair user, I felt accepted into society as I am. During this time, I also tried handbiking for the first time. I was immediately fascinated by the feeling of freedom that comes from cycling." (svetlanamoshkovich.com, 01 Jan 2024; ottobock.es, 14 Jun 2014) Ambition: To set a world record of being the first female handcyclist to cover 38 kilometres in one hour on a track. (Athlete, 27 Aug 2024; svetlanamoshkovich.com, 01 Jan 2024; Instagram profile, 14 Nov 2023) Awards: She was named Female Para Cyclist of the Year for 2023 by Cycling Austria. (Cycling Austria Facebook page, 07 Feb 2024) She received the Order of Merit to the Fatherland [second class] in the Russian Federation in recognition of the bronze medal she won at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. (kremlin.ru, 10 Sep 2012) She has received the title of Honoured Master of Sport in the Russian Federation. (tokyo2020.paralymp.ru, 01 Aug 2021) Additional Info: REPRESENTING AUSTRIA Having represented the Russian Federation at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London and RPC at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, she began representing Austria in 2023. (svetlanamoshkovich.com, 01 Jan 2024; radsportverband.at, 28 Sep 2023; sportmk.ru, 21 Aug 2023) SECOND WIND Having come to terms with the way she would have to live her day-to-day life following her accident, she aims to become an inspiration for other athletes with an impairment. "I solved problems as they came. I always thought of the phrase from the movie 'Gone With The Wind' - 'I'll think about that tomorrow'. I understood that the main thing for me was to fight for life, to recover after the injury. There was no time for mournful thoughts. I want to get people with an impairment excited about my sport and show them that they should keep fighting. In my life I've always met the right people at the right time. That's why you should never lose hope and always think positive thoughts. When you surmount your supposed limits, you are rewarded for it." (lifehacker.ru, 07 Feb 2014; ottobock.com, 2012) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied sports science at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. "In 2014, sport had long played a central role in my life. It was obvious that I should also make it a focus for my professional development. I chose the University of Innsbruck as my alma mater because it lives and supports inclusion in sport particularly effectively." (Athlete, 27 Aug 2024; svetlanamoshkovich.com, 01 Jan 2024; tokyo2020.paralymp.ru, 01 Aug 2021)

Sporting Relatives: Her partner Andrea Casadei has represented Italy in Para cycling. (Facebook profile, 04 Sep 2023; UCI, 24 Aug 2023)