Kathrin Marchand

Started: She began rowing in 2005. She took up Para rowing in 2022, following her stroke the previous year. (rudern.de, 21 May 2023; rowingone.com, 01 Jan 2012) Reason: She had competed in non-Para rowing at two Olympic Games before she acquired her impairment. She decided to get involved in Para sport after she heard radio coverage of the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games while she was driving. (sportschau.de, 23 Aug 2022) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Instagram profile, 10 Sep 2023) Additional Info: ROWING RETURN After representing Germany in non-Para rowing at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016, she retired from the sport to complete her medical studies. In September 2021 she had a stroke that resulted in her impairment, and she took up Para rowing the following year. "I accepted the way my life has changed and almost always tried to get the best out of everything. I have the rare opportunity to be both an Olympic and a Paralympic athlete." (Instagram profile, 12 Sep 2023; rudern.de, 21 May 2023; sportschau.de, 23 Aug 2022) OCCUPATION She works part-time as a doctor in an orthopaedic hospital in Germany. "It's different in Para rowing. I invest a lot less time in rowing [than when she was competing as a non-Para athlete]. I work and row part-time and am still internationally successful." (Instagram profile, 16 Jul 2024; rudern.de, 21 May 2023)