In her worst moment, Kathrin Marchand quickly realizes what is happening. But she doesn’t want to admit it. “From one moment to the next, someone turns off the light,” the 31-year-old describes her stroke in September 2021.
The left side of her body is suddenly numb, her field of vision is severely restricted and she has difficulties with orientation and understanding. Marchand is a doctor and has worked in an emergency room, she knows the symptoms of a stroke. But first she tells herself that she is hypoglycemic, hyperventilating or has a pinched nerve. “But I knew inwardly that these were excuses,” she says.
The restrictions are still immense for Marchand about a year later. “The stroke made me really stupid,” she says: “At least that’s how it feels sometimes.” The former competitive athlete had to learn a few things again. And above all, she had to learn to slow down.
A coincidence leads her back to rowing
Until 2016 she rowed for RTHC Leverkusen and went to the Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro. She then ended her career in order to complete her medical studies, among other things. She was a very active person, she says, today she needs her time off. But the former rower doesn’t want to let the consequences of the stroke get her down. The fact that she even finds her way back to sports is more of a coincidence.
While driving in March, she hears a live broadcast of the Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing on the radio. Her interest in para-sports was quickly aroused. Especially since there is also rowing there. “I just wanted to know what limitations you have to have,” she says. “Is what I have enough?” A first examination in April shows that her poor eyesight is not enough. But her left-sided muscle weakness ultimately led to classification in mid-August.
Suddenly in the EM squad of mixed fours
A day later the European Rowing Championships in Munich begin and Marchand is suddenly there. Due to two cases of illness, she slips into the squad of the mixed foursome. She knows how to race from before. What your body can do now, not. “I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to hold on to the handle any longer,” Marchand describes her impressions of the first big race after six years of not rowing. “I noticed that at some point the left side no longer actively participates and the right side is more challenged.” But with almost no training, she drove to a bronze medal with the foursome.
Now, after the actual end of her career and the stroke of fate of a stroke, she is back in the boat and also has sporting plans for the future. “I would like to go to the Paralympics. We have the potential, I think.” But despite the high level of para-sport, the focus for the Cologne native is on having fun: “If you look at it this way: I’m lucky enough to be able to row at the same level as before with less effort. I’d rather be healthy, but it has also brought beautiful sides with it.”