Five facts about…Germany’s Vanessa Low

Germany’s Vanessa Low is the current European champion in the women’s long jump T42 having beaten her Italian rival Martina Caironi last year in Swansea, Great Britain.

In Doha, not only will she be looking for her first long jump world title, the 25-year-old will also be going head-to-head with Caironi over 100m. At the last two World Championships she has taken bronze in the event.

Here are five facts you might not know about Vanessa Low:

1. At both the 2011 and 2013 World Championships, Low arrived at the track having forgotten her running legs at her hotel. The team’s head coach had to drive back to collect them.

2. Low retired from para-athletics after the London 2012 Paralympic Games. A visit to her friend Katrin Green in the USA helped her find the joy of training again – Katrin’s husband Roderick (Paralympic medallist at Sydney 2000) has coached her ever since.

3. When Low woke up from a coma after her accident - she lost both legs in a train accident - doctors told her she would never walk on a daily basis again. Five months later she was taking her first steps without crutches.

4. After her accident, Low was allowed to pick the size of her feet. Having been a ballet dancer for eight years when she was younger, Low’s feet were tiny – so she changed from a US size 3.5 to a size 6, and was finally able to buy shoes in the adults section.

5. The 25-year-old has an addiction for nail polishes, owning more than 50 different colours!

The IPC Athletics World Championships will take place in Doha, Qatar, between 21-31 October, attracting 1,400 athletes from 100 countries.