Para-Athlete Vanessa Low On Representing The Country She Fell In Love With

In the lead-up to the Rio Paralympic Games in 2016, German athlete Vanessa Low made the mammoth decision to move to the US to train. Now focused on Tokyo, Vanessa, 29, has made another big move – and this time, it’s for keeps. After Rio, the sprint and long-jump champ moved to Australia to be with her partner, Paralympian Scott Reardon, and fell hard for her new home. Three years on, she’s a freshly minted Aussie citizen preparing to don the green and gold alongside her now-husband Scott in Tokyo.

“Australia has supported my journey and welcomed me with open arms, so I made the decision to make my new home also the country I represent,” she says. “It’s a big honour for me to put on the jersey and represent the country I fell in love with.”

The move has also offered Vanessa the support of a professional team environment – something she missed while training independently in the US. Now fully rehabbed from a stress fracture in her back (which involved relearning how to run on her prosthetic legs), she’s excited to see how far she can go.

“I’ve made a plan to reach my full potential and really see what is possible,” she says. “I want to grow to be the best athlete I can and Australia is definitely providing that environment for me to do so.”

With a world record 5.05m leap this year, the chance of Vanessa adding a second gold medal to her collection in Tokyo is high. But she’s just stoked to be a part of the Aussie squad, with her husband.

“Travelling together with my team that’s kind of like my family – it’s going to be an amazing experience.” We agree!

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