Gesche Schünemann facts for kids
Schünemann at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality |  Germany |
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| Born | 18 November 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 175 centimetres (69 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wheelchair basketball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | 4.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Women's team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | RSV Lahn-Dill (2008–2013) BG Baskets Hamburg (2013–2016) |
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| Retired | 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paralympic finals | 2008 Summer Paralympics 2012 Summer Paralympics 2016 Summer Paralympics |
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Medal record
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Gesche Schünemann (born 18 November 1982) is a German former wheelchair basketball player. She was a key part of the German team that won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. Four years later, her team achieved gold at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.
Gesche had a promising basketball career when she was younger. However, a serious knee injury stopped her from playing regular basketball. She then found wheelchair basketball and played her first game in 2000. She went on to win many national championships. Gesche started training with the German national team in 2005. Her first international game was at the European championships in 2007.
Contents
Becoming a Wheelchair Basketball Star
From Injury to New Beginnings
Gesche Schünemann was born in Gießen, Germany, on 18 November 1982. As a child, she loved to swim and play basketball. During a basketball game, she had a bad fall. This caused a serious injury to her knee. She had several operations, but her knee never fully recovered enough for her to play professional basketball again. Even though she can walk, the injury changed her path in sports.
After her injury, Gesche moved to Tübingen. There, she studied sports management at the University of Tübingen. She even worked as a marketing consultant for an energy company. For a while, her knee still bothered her, and she couldn't play basketball at a high level.
Club Success with RSV Lahn-Dill
A person named Andreas Joneck, who later managed a team called RSV Lahn-Dill, encouraged Gesche to try wheelchair basketball. She started playing for their second team on her 18th birthday. This was a turning point for her!
Gesche played as a forward for RSV Lahn-Dill. Her team became very successful, winning the national championship five times. They won in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. In 2013, Gesche moved to Hamburg. She joined a new team, BG Baskets Hamburg, playing as a forward-center. In 2014, her new team won its first international title, the Euro League Challenge Cup.
Playing for Germany: Paralympic Medals
In November 2005, Gesche started training with the German national wheelchair basketball team. Her first international game was at the European championships in 2007. The German team won gold at that event. They also won gold again in 2009 and 2011.
In September 2008, Gesche played in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The German team reached the gold medal game but lost to the United States. They proudly took home silver medals. After these Paralympics, the team was honored as the national "Team of the Year." They also received the Silver Laurel Leaf, which is Germany's highest award for sports.
At the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, the German team hoped to play against the United States again. Instead, they faced the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team in the final. In front of a huge crowd, they defeated Australia to win the gold medal! This was the first time Germany had won gold in women's wheelchair basketball at the Paralympics since 1984. The team received another Silver Laurel Leaf and was named Team of the Year for 2012.
After the London Paralympics, Gesche had to rest for three months due to finger surgery. But she returned for the European Championships in 2013. In 2014, she won silver at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto. The German team won the 2015 European Championships, claiming their tenth European title. At the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, they won another silver medal.
Gesche Schünemann retired from playing wheelchair basketball in 2016. She left the national team in 2018.
Major Achievements
- 2007: Gold at European Championships (Wetzlar, Germany)
- 2008: Silver at Paralympic Games (Beijing, China)
- 2009: Gold at European Championships (Stoke Mandeville, England)
- 2010: Silver at World Championships (Birmingham, England)
- 2011: Gold at European Championships (Nazareth, Israel)
- 2012: Gold at Paralympic Games (London, England)
- 2013: Silver at European Championships (Frankfurt, Germany)
- 2014: Silver at World Championships (Toronto, Canada)
- 2015: Gold at European Championships (Worcester, England)
- 2016: Silver at Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Special Awards
- 2008: Team of the Year
- 2008: Silver Laurel Leaf
- 2012: Team of the Year
- 2012: Silver Laurel Leaf
