Felicia Laberer

Started: She took up Para canoe in 2018. (hzbblog.de, 13 Apr 2021) Reason: She stopped competing in Para swimming in 2018 but she still had the ambition to win a medal at the Paralympic Games. "I got into swimming because my brothers used to swim, and there is a medal hanging in our living room. So, when I was little I said, 'Mum, I want that too'. I swam until 2018. Then I did not want to do it anymore, but I still had the goal of winning a medal at the Paralympic Games. So, I looked for a sport where I could achieve that. I tried a few, but I liked canoeing the most. I've always loved the water." (Munich 2022 YouTube channel, 10 Jul 2021) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (teamdeutschland-paralympics.de, 22 Aug 2023) Milestones: At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo she became the youngest female canoeist [and second-youngest of any gender] from any nation to win a Paralympic medal in the sport, when she claimed bronze in the women's KL3 200m event at age 20 years and 114 days. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES She has held an apprenticeship as an office management assistant at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin [HZB] in Germany, working in the finance and purchasing departments. "I am particularly happy that I get a lot of understanding and support for my sport at HZB." (helmholtz-berlin.de, 21 Jul 2021; hzbblog.de, 13 Apr 2021)