Elke van Engelen

Started: She took up Para triathlon in 2017. (dzr.de, 09 Apr 2023) Reason: She had been involved in triathlon before the amputation of her leg. "Still in a hospital bed, I did the first exercises with the help of the physiotherapists. As soon as I was allowed to get out of bed, I went to the hospital gym every day. Sport helped me to quickly come to terms with fate. 10 days after my release from hospital, I was back at the race track - still in a wheelchair - to cheer on my husband and my team. It quickly became clear to me that I wanted to do triathlon again." (triathlondeutschland.de, 19 Aug 2023, 01 Jan 2020; dzr.de, 09 Apr 2023) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Instagram profile, 05 Jan 2024) Additional Info: OCCUPATION She works as a dentist at a practice in Nordhorn, Germany. "When I am competing, no matter where in the world, the responsibility remains that the practice runs smoothly. It remains my first priority." (Instagram profile, 05 Jan 2024; zahnarztpraxis-van-engelen.de, 01 Jan 2024; dzr.de, 09 Apr 2023)