At the age of 10, Christian Seidel needed a wheelchair, and in doing so, he found a new active community in wheelchair basketball. The sport has been a big part of his life ever since – and now it is once again taking him overseas. According to Christian, it is sponsorships such as Wellspect’s that make it possible for him and many others to realize their dreams of having a professional career.
Considering getting into a disability sport? Either as a participant or in a supporting role? As the profile of disability sport continues to rise in the wake of the Tokyo Paralympics, Wellspect gathers three inspirational women from the front lines of contemporary and competitive para sports, to share their unique sights, for the benefit of aspiring Paralympians and anyone wanting to get involved and enjoy the benefits of sport.
Topics: #RoadToParis, #wheelchair basketball, parasports
What does inclusivity mean? Let's flip it on it's head. As the partner of Svenja Mayer
– a player with Team Deutschland, André Hopp is also a wheelchair basketball player. The sport is like a second family to them, and it's how they met. Nothing unusual about that, you might think. Except that Andre, is fully abled.
Text: Jana Rudolf
Photograpy: Uli Gasper
André Hopp is the man at the side of national player Svenja Mayer. With her he not only shares his life, but also his love of wheelchair basketball. André Hopp and Svenja Mayer has been an unbeatable team since 2015. They met in 2014, through a shared passion: wheelchair basketball. “To me, wheelchair basketball has become a second family. Everyone knows everyone and after the games we often do activities together", says Hopp. Since he himself has no disability, 30-year old André especially appreciates the inclusiveness of the sport:
Topics: Paralympics, #RoadToParis, #wheelchair basketball, parasports
