It is an exciting race right up to the end. Just five minutes later, Lindy Ave is beaming into the cameras in the Stade de France in Paris – the German flag is flying behind her. Her joy is supported by the deafening cheers of the packed stands. On this Saturday evening, there is hardly a seat left empty in the athletics stadium in Paris.
Both Paralympics In Tokyo 2021, Ave surprisingly left all of her competitors in the T38 starting class for athletes with coordination disorders behind over 400 meters. She ran to the gold medal with a world record despite a long injury break. In Japan, the Neubrandenburg native also won bronze over 100 meters. These were the most successful games to date for the now 26-year-old.
And yet the Paris Games are special for Ave. For her, a whole new kind of medal success is coming: as motherIn 2022, the para-runner had her first child. During her pregnancy, she was forced to rest due to health risks. Accordingly, the preparation phase for the Paralympic Games was significantly shorter than actually needed.
The para-athlete certainly had a quick comeback. After just one competition in preparation for the World Championships this spring, Ave sprinted to silver in the stadium lap and a strong fourth place in the 100 meters. She had already secured the standard for the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 in the preliminary round. The shortened preparation time and long maternity leave did not really seem to pose a problem for the 26-year-old.
But Ave has to bear a triple burden every day. Her job, competitive sport and life as a single mother. She manages to juggle all of this. Her son is not with her in Paris, but is cheering her on in front of the TV. He is often in the stadium with her during training. Ave herself is more than just surprised about her third place here in Paris. She describes the past year as hard and long – and she is accordingly proud of her performance.
After only one year of training, Ave had definitely not expected the medal. A week before the race, her goal was to reach the final. She did not talk about a medal. This made the surprise all the greater.
