Irmgard Bensusan

Started: She began running at age four in South Africa. (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019) Reason: She followed her sister into the sport. After her accident she wanted to return to running so she took up Para athletics. "Running has been my dream since I was four. [After the recovery] I called my former trainer, I said I want to do it again, that I do not care if I'm going to be the last or just 20 seconds slower. The main thing is that I'm running." (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019; morgenpost.de, 21 Aug 2018) Ambition: To win a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (tsvbayer04.de, 17 Jul 2023; Instagram profile, 12 Jul 2023) Awards: In 2019 she was named Para Athlete of the Year in Germany. (dw.com, 06 Jan 2020) Additional Info: RETIREMENT PLAN She says that the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris will be her final appearance at the Games. "I am proud of myself that I was able to be competitive, improve, and train at this level for over 10 years, which wasn't easy. I want to enjoy my last Paralympic cycle. I want to do this for the little girl who fell in love with running and had the most ambitious dreams. I want to do this last one for me. My last big dance." (deutschlandfunk.de, 03 Mar 2024; Instagram profile, 29 Feb 2024) SCHLUFFI She calls her impaired leg 'Schluffi'. "If I do something wrong with my right leg, the trainer would shout, 'Pull up the slack'. And if something doesn't work, Schluffi was to blame. I say, 'It's Schluffi's fault. It's not my fault. I'm not being slow, it's Schluffi'." (dw.com, 06 Jan 2020; tellerreport.com, 13 Nov 2019; wn.de, 09 Nov 2019) OCCUPATION In 2022 she began working as an internal auditor for a pharmaceutical company in Leverkusen, Germany. (LinkedIn profile, 14 Sep 2023; sportschau.de, 17 Jul 2023)