GER PR3 Mix2x

AS TOLD TO TOM RANSLEY

PHOTOGRAPHY BENEDICT TUFNELL

Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t tell you how many surgeries I've undergone; there were a lot.The first came two days after I was born and they continued for almost two decades. Every surgery rips you from your environment: you spend weeks in hospital, and months relying on others. It disrupts education, exercise, and, in the short term, your ability to move independently.

I was born with club feet, which means my feet grow inwards and downwards. It’s genetic. The repeated surgeries aimed to correct the orientation of the feet, to be more orthogonal and provide a better base. Surgery does not restore the function in the ankles, that's not possible. I can wiggle my toes a bit, but my feet are completely stiff and I can't move my ankles at all. I have atrophied lower legs and calves because the muscle isn’t properly activated.

I've always been aware that I'm different. It took a long time to be OK with that.

I grew up in Dortmund, Germany. People know it for the football club. For most of my childhood I didn’t have much interest in sports or academia. It’s funny how things work out; I’m now a Paralympic medallist, who has spent the last eight years studying at The University of Cambridge. I hope to complete my PhD in Applied Computer Science next year.

Nowadays, after all the medical interventions, everyday life doesn’t affect me too much. Walking or standing for extended periods can be tricky, but I’m lucky I can do most things and my disability is barely noticeable to the untrained eye. Disability doesn’t just affect an individual but their whole family.

My mother and I travelled hundreds of kilometres to see specialist doctors. My treatment mostly took place in Freiburg, about 600km south of where we lived. We'd get an overnight train, arrive by 8am, have a check-up with the doctor, and then go back the same day. The amount of time and energy my mother spent, and the things she gave up, just to make sure I was OK, and that I got a good start in life, it’s truly spectacular and I'm forever grateful.