Actually, she wasn't even nominated for the Paralympics in Tokyo: But in the end Angelika Dreock-Käser was able to look forward to a silver and a bronze medal with her racing tricycle.
Her employer is one of the congratulators: the rehabilitation clinic in Höhenried, where the disabled athlete has been working for 22 years.
Bernried - Although the current world champion in the time trial and third in the road race, the responsible national coach Tobias Bachsteffel had not suggested her for the Paralympics: The route in Tokyo, partly on the Fuji Formula 1 circuit, is a long way for her friend and teammate Jana Majunke better, so its justification.
"At first I didn't understand that, but after sleeping over night I was able to understand it," says Dreock-Käser (54).
But she still had a back door: a wildcard.
Of these, the UCI, the international cycling association, only awards five each for women and men.
After 14 days of anxious waiting, Dreock-Käser received such a wildcard and was allowed to go to Tokyo.
Before the start of the training camp, the athlete suffered a stroke of fate
A few days before the start of the training camp, Dreock-Käser suffered a stroke of fate: her husband died suddenly while jogging. She decided to start: "That was my husband's greatest wish." Her surroundings have also encouraged her in her decision. One day after the funeral they went to the training camp and from there to Tokyo, where Dreock-Käser won bronze in the time trial and silver in the road race with their tricycle. She dedicated these two medals to her deceased husband. Gold went to her team-mate Majunke, who was 23 years her junior.
In Tokyo I got the best out of both races, ”said Dreock-Käser, who assembled her 11.5 kilo carbon racing tricycle herself. Your goal is the Paralympics in Paris in 2024. "But I make decisions from year to year, depending on my health," says the Bernried woman, who suffered her first stroke in 2009 and has since struggled with balance disorders and coordination problems, among other things. After her second stroke in 2014, she had to switch from a two-wheel racing bike to a racing tricycle. Because of the handicap, she cannot take a round step because she can only exert force in one direction. Even the classic kicking out of the saddle (walking out of the saddle) is not possible for her. In everyday life she mainly has problems walking (gait ataxia). She also suffers from a chronic bowel disease.
With comparatively little training effort to success
Among the para-cyclists, the masseuse, medical pool attendant and sports physiotherapist who works part-time in Höhenried is an exception: Her training effort is comparatively modest with ten hours of cycling and two hours of strength training per week.
But she trains with high intensity.
The majority of their mostly much younger competitors are full professionals.
Dreock-Käser benefits from her talent, her sporting past and the associated excellent basic level of fitness: She ran her first marathon when she was in her early twenties, and 37 more followed in ten years.
Her best time is 3:04 hours.
Later she also did some cross duathlons.
In addition to their work colleagues, the well-wishers also included clinic managing director Robert Zucker and Dr.
Christa Bongarth, medical director in Höhenried.
The clinic management had granted Dreock-Käser special leave for training camps and competitions.
Johannes Thoma
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