Kathrin Marchand arrives for her first training session of the day a little tired but smiling. Together with para-rowing partner Valentin Luz she spends the morning on the water in a double scull. After a few stretches they head out across the river, a scene that would have been hard to imagine five years earlier.
Now 35, Marchand made her Olympic debut in London 2012 as part of the German women’s eight and competed again at Rio 2016. After the Rio Games she stepped away from elite sport long enough to finish a medical degree and begin working as a doctor in 2018. Everything changed in 2021 when, during an indoor cycling class, the left side of her body went numb. Initially convinced she was too young to be having a stroke, she waited about an hour before calling an ambulance. An MRI confirmed the diagnosis.
The stroke has left lasting effects. Marchand struggles with concentration, memory lapses, difficulties with orientation and a reduced field of vision. The transition from full health to life with limitations was brutal: routines disrupted, professional expectations reshaped and everyday tasks suddenly more complicated. Over time she learned to accept a new normal, to lower rigid standards and set fewer goals, and to treat herself with more compassion. She says the experience has reshaped her perspective on life and achievement.
Remarkably, just months after the stroke she returned to a boat, this time competing as a para-athlete. She leaned on lessons learned in elite sport about discipline and resilience, and early successes soon followed. Medals at European and World Championships led to qualification for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, where she and her teammates finished fourth in the German mixed four.
Para sport was unfamiliar to her at first. After attending a training session and talking with other disabled athletes, she found the community uplifting. Surrounded by people who had adapted to new circumstances, she realized that having a disability did not mean the end of an active, meaningful life.
Not content with summer rowing, Marchand later embraced a new winter sport: para cross-country skiing. Learning to move on narrow skis was difficult, but she adapted quickly enough to qualify for the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympic Games. In doing so she achieved a unique milestone, becoming the first athlete to compete at the Summer Olympics, the Summer Paralympics and the Winter Paralympics.
Her profile in Germany has grown, and she has used that visibility to encourage others facing health setbacks. She talks openly about the mixed emotions that followed the stroke: the loss, the frustration, but also the unintended benefits. Before the stroke her life had been busy and stressful; the health crisis forced her to slow down, reassess priorities and notice small joys she had previously overlooked. That reframing is something she often mentions when people tell her her story has helped them through a difficult time.
Marchand remains realistic about her limits but continues to set ambitious goals. She hopes to win her first Paralympic medal in para-rowing at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, a target that drives her training and keeps her focused on the future. Her journey is a testament to resilience: a reminder that a life altered by illness can still include elite sport, new challenges and a renewed sense of purpose.