Barbara van Bergen facts for kids
van Bergen in 2015
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| Born | 9 June 1978 Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands |
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| Country | Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Event(s) | Women's wheelchair basketball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Barbara van Bergen (born 9 June 1978) is a talented Dutch athlete. She has competed in two different sports at the highest level. Barbara is known for her skills in wheelchair basketball and para-alpine skiing. She has won many medals for her country, the Netherlands.
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Barbara's Sports Journey
Barbara van Bergen has had an amazing career in sports. She started out playing wheelchair basketball. Later, she switched to para-alpine skiing. She has shown incredible dedication and skill in both.
Playing Wheelchair Basketball
Barbara began her wheelchair basketball journey in 2007. She played for a team called Rotterdam Arrows'81. In 2008, she joined the Dutch national team. They competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The team made it to the quarter-finals.
Four years later, the Dutch team was ready for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. They played very well. After a tough semi-final game, they won the bronze medal! This was a huge achievement for Barbara and her team.
European and World Success
The team continued to achieve great things. In 2013, they won a gold medal. This was at the Women's European Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Frankfurt. The next year, they earned a bronze medal. This was at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto.
In 2015, the Dutch team won a silver medal. This was at the European Championship. This win helped them qualify for the next big event. They went to the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. There, they once again won a bronze medal.
Skiing Down Mountains
After the 2016 Paralympic Games, Barbara decided to try a new challenge. She started focusing on Para-alpine skiing. This sport involves skiing down snowy mountains. Athletes use special equipment, like a sitting ski, to compete.
Barbara started sitting para-alpine skiing in 2014. She quickly became very good at it. In December 2021, she qualified for the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing. This showed her incredible talent in a completely different sport.
World Championship Medals
Barbara also competed in the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships. This event took place in Lillehammer, Norway. She performed brilliantly in the downhill event. Barbara van Bergen won a silver medal there. This proved she is a top athlete in both summer and winter sports.
