Para rowing: A sport that breaks down barriers

Para rowing has developed into one of the most fascinating disciplines of the Paralympic Games in recent years. Dominik Siemenroth and Marc Lembeck, two outstanding German Para rowers, exemplify the tireless commitment and passion that can be found in Para sport.

The Paralympic Games are a highlight in the international sports calendar, giving athletes with disabilities the chance to showcase their skills on the world's biggest stage. One discipline that has gained increasing attention in recent years is para rowing. This sport, which was first included in the Paralympic program in Beijing in 2008, has since become a permanent fixture at the Games and captivates spectators from all over the world.

The fact that para rowing has become such a popular sport is also due to the athletes who take part in the games. They are both athletes and role models who show that physical limitations do not have to be an obstacle to sporting success. Dominik Siemenroth and Marc Lembeck, two outstanding German para rowers, embody these values every day.

To prevent such situations, there is a team of 164 experts from 41 nations who can communicate in 31 languages. They work in a 650 square meter main workshop as well as 14 smaller workshops directly at the competition venues to ensure that technical problems are solved quickly. This service is available to every athlete free of charge and is independent of the manufacturer or type of aid.

Dominik Siemenroth: Resilience and adaptability

Dominik Siemenroth has been the state coach for para rowing at the North Rhine-Westphalia Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (BRSNW) since January 2023. He was an active member of the para rowing national team from 2018 to 2022. After a promising youth as a footballer, a cancer diagnosis in 2009 forced him to have a transfemoral amputation, whereupon he gave up competitive soccer.

But instead of being discouraged by this setback, he discovered his passion for rowing. Dominik Siemenroth's sporting career is characterized by resilience and adaptability. Nevertheless, he describes one of the biggest challenges he has faced in sport in recent years as something surprising: "Making people who have had nothing to do with para sport understand how few barriers there can be."

Marc Lembeck, a visually impaired athlete at the BRSNW, has also had a remarkable career. He took part in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing as an athlete and all-around competitor. This year he is back at the Games - but this time as a rower in the Para mixed four. He is already European vice-champion (2023) and world vice-champion (2022) in this discipline. In addition to his active career, Lembeck has been working as a talent scout for the BRSNW since 2023.

"For me, rowing is the perfect sport to live inclusion, because no matter what disability you have, you can experience the sport together on the water," he explains. Nevertheless, Lembeck emphasizes that he would prefer to talk less about inclusion and instead show what it means to live with a disability by experiencing it together. "I believe that even people who don't have disabilities can find themselves there, because everyone has their strengths and weaknesses."

Paralympics 2024: Race lost, sympathy points gained

Marc Lembeck unfortunately just missed out on his goal of winning a medal at the 2024 Paralympics. In the rowing final on September 1, he finished in 4th place in the mixed four – a bitter defeat. But even though the exceptional athlete and his team members were clearly disappointed after the race, the team was celebrated by the German press – for its outstanding performance and likeable appearance. There is a good chance that the para rowing discipline has benefited enormously from the approachable athletes and the international stage.

It is not yet clear exactly what will happen with Marc Lembeck's rowing team. But one thing is certain: as a member of the BRSNW team, he will be present at REHACARE this year. For many years, the BRSNW has organized the popular Sports Center in Hall 7a of the trade fair, which offers people with and without disabilities the opportunity to try out various sports. One of this year's highlights is a 9-metre-high climbing wall, which can be climbed safely with the support of two "assistant climbers", as Anke Nellen, Public Relations and Events Officer at the BRSNW, has already revealed.

"Our ski slope is also sure to be a great magnet for anyone who wants to try out a mono or biski in a wheelchair. The water sports theme will also be very cool this year: learning swimming techniques on a pull bench, a canoeing experience with a wobbly canoe and VR goggles – and you can ride through the hall on an XXL SUP, completely without water. There will also finally be another chance to try out para ice hockey," says Anke Nellen.

In addition to Marc Lembeck, Thomas Böhme from the German national basketball team will also be there to challenge visitors to a basketball duel. We are also looking forward to the table tennis trio from Düsseldorf: Valentin Baus and Thomas Schmidberger, who won silver in the table tennis doubles at this year's Paralympics, and Sandra Mikolaschek. These athletes impressively demonstrate at the trade fair and through their careers that barriers can be overcome – on the water, on the playing field and in our heads.

Jennifer Meyer
REHACARE.com