Joachim Gerard

Started: He took up wheelchair tennis in 2000 in Limelette, Belgium. (Athlete, 11 Aug 2015) Reason: "I had always been a sporty guy so my dad decided we needed to find a sport I could play in a wheelchair. To start with it was a hobby and my main sport was swimming, but I liked tennis so much that I kept playing more and more." (itftennis.com, 07 Jan 2020) Milestones: He became the first Belgian athlete to win a medal in wheelchair tennis at the Paralympic Games when he won bronze in men's singles at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 19 Mar 2020) Awards: He and equestrian Manon Claeys were Belgium's flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) In 2013 and 2019 he was named Para Athlete of the Year at the Belgian Sport Gala. (gva.be, 21 Dec 2019) Additional Info: RETIREMENT PLAN He intends to finish his competitive career at the end of 2025. "I want to broaden my horizons a little. It's a well-considered decision. I would like to work on personal projects and spend more time with my family. The Paralympic Games in Paris are still on the agenda, but they will be my last Games. I have no idea if I'll stay involved in the sport or not. I still have time to think about it." (sporza.be, 23 Apr 2024) BOOK In 2024 his biography titled 'Revers Gagnant' [Backhand Winner] was published. The book was written with Emmanuel Debieve. (Facebook page, 02 May 2024; handisport.be, 23 Apr 2024) PASSING OF A MENTOR His longtime coach and mentor Marc Grandjean passed away in 2019 due to a neurodegenerative condition. "We started to work together in 2006 and it was a good time for him to arrive in my life. It was more than just tennis; he became like a dad to me. It was very hard to learn about his illness, first of all, and then when he passed away, after 13 years together, it was heartbreaking. For quite a while I was not ready to play. My head was not on the court, but somewhere else and I could not keep my focus. It took me a few months to accept it, but I learned to keep all the good things from him in my heart and in my head and then I could move forward." (paralympic.org, 28 Jan 2020)