Marieke Vervoort
Marieke Vervoort during the Run to walk again-event in Tongerlo, September 2012
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| National team | Belgium |
| Born |
10 May 1979 Diest |
| Sport | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Disability class | Wheelchair racing |
| Event(s) | T52 100m |
| Updated on 16 August 2016. | |
Marieke Vervoort (born 10 May 1979 in Diest) is a Belgian athlete.
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.
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