Oliwia Szmigiel

Started: She began playing badminton in 2017 in Pabianice, Poland. (paralympic.org.pl, 17 Feb 2023) Reason: "Sport has accompanied me in my life from an early age. First, in the form of rehabilitation, but it quickly turned out that I had a knack for it. Everything I tried was fun and I did well. There was a skating school, skiing, fencing, team dancing throughout primary school, as well as swimming in the swimming section for many years. I even won a few medals in this discipline. Badminton appeared at the beginning of 2017 quite by accident. I had a break from fencing training due to knee problems, and during a visit to an orthopaedist, I accidentally met another short-statured person who told me about the possibility of badminton training in Pabianice, which is quite close to my place of residence at that time. It quickly turned out that badminton became my passion and I made great progress in the discipline." (paralympic.org.pl, 17 Feb 2023) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Instagram profile, 16 Dec 2023) Awards: She was named Athlete of the Year for 2023 in Kobierzyce, Poland. (echo24.tv, 29 Feb 2024)