Para sports & inclusion: Seven perspectives from everyday athletic life

"I believe there is always a way if you believe in it. You usually set your own limits – somehow everything works out."

Diagnosed with paraplegia at 16 – quite a shock. But Lukas Gloßner kept going. Eight years later, he is self-determined, plays for the German national wheelchair basketball team and always has his sights firmly set on the Paralympics. What helped him achieve this? Team spirit, sport and his unshakeable belief that things will go on.

"I'm grateful for everything I've been able to experience," he says and radiates this.

"Boundaries are what we make of them ourselves. I want to show that: We can all be ambassadors. By sharing our story, passing on knowledge and bringing other people into our community."

Moritz Brückner has been in a wheelchair since a surfing accident. Today, he plays wheelchair rugby at national level and is a strong advocate for inclusion as a speaker and podcaster.

His perspective: barriers are often less physical than mental. "The Paralympics were a goosebump moment for me: thousands cheering, a sense of community." What mattered was performance and passion.

"I can make movements in the water that are not possible on land. It has changed the way I think about myself."

Lea learned to swim in her early 20s – and has since opened up a new world for herself. Today, she is part of the Bavarian para swimming team and completed her first official competition in May 2025.

She is currently the only Para swimmer in her club, but is still a natural part of the team. "When I was suddenly able to do something in the water that I couldn't do before, it clicked in my head," she says. For her, swimming is not just exercise, but motivation, self-esteem and a sense of belonging.

"For me, rowing is the epitome of inclusion – we move as a team, not side by side."

Marc Lembeck used to be a track and field athlete, today he is a competitive para rower and event inclusion manager at the German Rowing Association. For him, rowing offers ideal conditions for equal cooperation: there are no sideshows on the water. Whether with or without a disability – what counts in the boat is that everyone moves forward together.

"I had to learn what is possible with my prosthetic leg – and where I reach my limits. For me, inclusion in sport means not having to ask if I can take part."

After a serious accident, Kim Cremer decided to have an amputation. The triathlon became his life anchor – and a feat of inclusion. Not every club is open, not every training facility is accessible. But Kim Cremer fights – for his place on the track and for more inclusion in everyday sport. Today, he has both feet on the ground as an athlete and professionally, prosthesis included.

"For me, inclusion means: we start together and no one is left behind."

Dominik Siemenroth was once a footballer. After suffering from cancer and a transfemoral amputation, he had to rethink his life – and discovered rowing. Today, he is the state coach for para rowing in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

His everyday life? Inclusive training groups, shared experiences, a real team feeling. "We get into the boat together – no matter what limitations someone has. What counts on the water is teamwork."

"Popular sport and competitive sport go hand in hand here. Inclusion is not organized – it is actively practized."

Valentin Baus is a world champion and Paralympics winner – born with glass bones. His sporting home: Borussia Düsseldorf. Here, people with and without disabilities train side by side. For him, inclusion in sports is a living reality.