Barbara Bieganowska-Zajac

Started: Her talent for running was spotted when she was a child by Janusz Korcela, a physical education teacher at the Special Educational Centre in Grodkow, Poland. (pzsnstart.eu, 14 Jul 2023; nowinynyskie.com.pl, 05 Jan 2023) Reason: "My career began after I took part in a cross-country running competition in Lasocice [in Poland], where coaches noticed my achievements. I won a race against older girls. Then I was informed that I had run the wrong race, and I had to do another one, where I also finished first by a distance. This was the beginning of my sports career." (nysa.naszemiasto.pl, 27 Mar 2023; festiwalbiegowy.pl, 01 Dec 2015) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (pzsnstart.eu, 14 Jul 2023) Awards: In 2023 she was presented with a medal for the 25th anniversary of the Polish Paralympic Committee. (Polski Komitet Paralimpijski Facebook page, 12 Dec 2023) In 2016 she was honoured with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in Poland. (prezydent.pl, 05 Oct 2016) She was named the Best Female Athlete at the 2017 International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability [INAS] Awards. (insidethegames.biz, 23 Apr 2017) In 2001 she was honoured with the Bronze Cross of Merit by the president of Poland. (sejm.gov.pl, 16 Jan 2001)

Sporting Relatives: Her daughters Wiktoria and Martyna have competed in athletics at national junior level. (lekkoatletykadlakazdego.pl, 30 Jun 2019; domtel-sport.pl, 01 Jun 2018; sport.tvp.pl, 30 Jul 2016)