Marieke Vervoort

Marieke Vervoort (10 May 1979 – 22 October 2019) was a Belgian Paralympic athlete with reflex sympathetic dystrophy. She won several medals at the Paralympics, and she received worldwide attention in 2016 when she revealed that she was considering euthanasia.

Career Vervoort began her career in sports playing wheelchair basketball, She was paratriathlon world champion in 2006 and the silver medal in the T52 200m wheelchair race. She also set world records in the T52 400m at Kortrijk, Belgium, and the T52 800m at Oordegem in 2013.

The same year, while competing at the IPC Athletics World Championships at Lyon, France, Vervoort fell during the 800m race after a collision with Michelle Stilwell of Canada. She injured her shoulder, Her next competition was in 2014, at the ParAthletics IPC Athletics Grand Prix held at Nottwil, Switzerland, Later that same year, she suffered another setback. While making pasta, she lost consciousness, accidentally poured hot water over herself and sustained second-degree and third-degree burn wounds from the chest down to her ankles.

At the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, she won gold medals in the T52 100m, 200m and 400m races, which was two seconds slower than her European record, prior to her accident.

Personal life Vervoort began experiencing symptoms at the age of 14 of what would later be diagnosed as reflex sympathetic dystrophy: an incurable degenerative disease of the muscles and spine, Despite her sporting success, Vervoort said that she was considering euthanasia as she was preparing for the 2016 Rio Paralympics, saying that Rio was her "last wish". She clarified that this did not mean euthanasia would 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 signed her euthanasia papers in 2008. Vervoort also had epilepsy, who was able to alert her to an upcoming seizure an hour before it occurred. Her decision was supported by other Paralympians, such as Briton Ollie Hynd.

Vervoort was lesbian.

Writing Vervoort was the author of two books, Wielemie. Sporten voor het leven ("Wielemie. Sports for life") (Houtekiet, 2012),

Honors and recognition 2012 – Belgian Paralympian of the Year 2013 – Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) 2014 – 2015 – Vlaamse Reus 2016 – from Prime Minister Geert Bourgeois