Laura Fürst facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 24 April 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Germany | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wheelchair basketball | |||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | 2.0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Women's team | |||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | |||||||||||||||||||
| Club | RBB Munich Iguanas | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Laura Fürst (born 24 April 1991) is a talented German wheelchair basketball player. She plays as a 2.0 point player for RBB Munich in the wheelchair basketball league. Laura is also a key member of the German national team. With her team, she won a silver medal at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto, Canada.
Biography
Laura Fürst was born in Munich, Germany, on 24 April 1991. When she was 16, Laura was an exchange student in Petoskey, Michigan, USA. In March 2008, she had an accident while riding a snowmobile. She lost control and crashed into a tree.
Laura suffered serious injuries, including a damaged vertebra in her spine. This injury caused paralysis in her legs. It meant she became an incomplete paraplegic, which means she could not move her legs.
After her accident, Laura returned to Germany for rehabilitation. During her recovery, she discovered wheelchair basketball. She quickly learned the game and began playing for two teams: SV Reha Augsburg and RBB Munich. Young players can often play for more than one team.
In 2011, Laura was part of the German team at the U25 Women's World Cup. This event took place in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The next year, in July 2012, her team won the U22 European Championship. They beat Sweden in the final at Stoke Mandeville in England.
Laura then went to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the United States. She studied physical engineering for a year. While there, she played wheelchair basketball for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks team. Laura and her teammates, including other Paralympians, won the collegiate championship in March 2013. They defeated the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.
In June 2014, Laura joined the senior German women's team. They competed in the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto, Canada. The German team played very well and won a silver medal. They were defeated by Canada in the final game.
The German team continued their success in 2015. They won their tenth European title at the European Championships. They beat the Netherlands in the final. At the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Laura and her team won another silver medal. They lost the final match to the United States team.
Achievements
- 2012: Gold medal at the U22 European Championship (Stoke Mandeville, England)
- 2014: Silver medal at the World Championships (Toronto, Canada)
- 2015: Gold medal at the European Championships (Worcester, England)
- 2016: Silver medal at the Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
See also
In Spanish: Laura Fürst para niños
