National team Belgium Disability class Wheelchair racing | Country Belgium | |
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Parents Jos Vervoort, Odette Pauwels Similar Nafissatou Thiam, Michèle George, Marc Herremans, Laurens Devos, Patrick Vervoort | ||
Marieke vervoort
Marieke Vervoort (born 10 May 1979 in Diest) is a Belgian athlete.
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Life
Vervoort practices athletics and blokarting and earlier she completed in triathlons. In the 2012 London Paralympic Games she won the silver medal in the T52 200m wheelchair race, setting a European record. She also won the gold medal in the T52 100m wheelchair race.
At the World Championships for Paralympic athletes in Doha, she became world champion. She covered 200 meters in 35.91 which was two seconds off her European record (33.65).
In 2015 she was awarded the Vlaamse Reus, an annual prize given out by Flemish sports journalists.
Despite her success, Vervoort said that she was considering euthanasia as she was preparing for the Paralympics in Rio. She suffers from a painful degenerative disease and she has said that Rio is her "last wish". She has clarified that this does not mean euthanasia will occur immediately after the games, stating that "You have to live day-by-day and enjoy the little moments. When the day comes—when I have more bad days than good days—I have my euthanasia papers. But the time is not there yet."
She lives with Zenn, her assistance labrador.
