Minister-President of Lower Saxony Stephan Weil and Minister for the Interior and Sport Daniela Behren awarded Tina Deeken with its Disabled Athlete of the Year (Behindertensportlerin des Jahres) for her outstanding achievements (Hohe Auszeichnung für herausragende Leistungen) in open water swimming, ice swimming, triathlon, and other extreme endeavors such as a self-supported 50 km tandem swim with Tobias Prüßner in the Weser in 9 hours under Force 3-4 conditions.
After receiving the Lower Saxony Sports Medal (Niedersächsischen Sportmedaille), Deeken said, “I am very pleased about this important award. This is a crowning conclusion to a very intensive and successful year”. The Sports Medal is awarded to people who have made outstanding sporting achievements as an athlete and ambassador.
She became a multiple world champion in para ice swimming while setting of several world records at the IISA 4th and 5th World Championship in Głogów, Poland and Samoëns, France respectively as well as becoming the German champion in para triathlon.
At the ceremony on November 30th in the state government guest house in Hanover, Deeken honored by Behinderten-Sportverbandes Niedersachsen (BSN) president Karl Fink, “This award underlines Tina Deeken’s outstanding achievements. On behalf of the BSN, I would like to warmly congratulate her on this great award. For the BSN, this is an important sign of awareness and promotion of sport for people with disabilities.”
© 2023 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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