Tatiana Flores for Open Window & ChessBase
Open Window is delighted to welcome Paralympic legend Martin Braxenthaler as a guest.
Could you briefly introduce yourself in your own words and tell us about your disability?
Yes, hello! My name is Martin Braxenthaler. I come from a small town on the outskirts of Traunstein, in southern Germany, not far from Lake Chiemsee. When I look out of my window, I can see the mountains.
I was born in 1972, so I am 53 years old. I have had a disability since a workplace accident in 1994 — 31 years ago. As a result of multiple spinal fractures and damage to the spinal cord, I have paraplegia. The injury is located in the middle section of my back, around the T9/T10 level (T refers to the thoracic segment of the spinal cord).
What did you do before your accident?
I grew up on a farm, and there you learn a bit of everything. Early on, I discovered my passion for various mobility solutions involving vehicles, and I trained as a car mechanic. I wanted to gain additional qualifications in this field, but at the age of 22 I had the accident I mentioned. It happened at home on a construction site. We were renovating something, and due to unfortunate circumstances a number of bricks fell onto my back. As a result, my life changed fundamentally from one day to the next.
Does your disability restrict you in everyday life? If so, how?
There is no doubt that I am restricted, because due to my disability I cannot move my legs at all. I cannot use them in any way, which means I do all my everyday activities using a wheelchair. That is clearly a handicap, but I have managed to reorganise and reshape my life in such a way that I can handle daily life well and with ease, without outside help. I think I can be a little proud of that.
I am mobile by car and with other equipment such as a handbike. I am also a family man with two children, and I live up to that responsibility as well. And if I occasionally cannot get up a staircase or a step, then maybe it is not so important or dramatic. In that case, I simply ask someone to help me. That is how I manage situations like climbing a staircase, for example.
What were your first thoughts when you realised after the accident that you were paraplegic?
Up to the time of my accident, I had had hardly any contact with people with disabilities, so I was completely overwhelmed. I had no idea what it meant, what I would still be able to do, or what options existed. As a result, I was totally overburdened by the new life situation, which had emerged literally overnight. I had no plan at all, not even a vague perspective of which direction things might take in the future.
Martin Braxenthaler is a Paralympic champion, coach, and mentor. In this way, he serves as a role model for many people. | Photo: Private collectin
Were there situations in social life that you suddenly found difficult or stressful because of your disability?
Yes, definitely. Before the accident, I moved around as a pedestrian, where the everyday barriers are not really noticeable. They do exist, of course, but as an able-bodied person they hardly affect you. From one day to the next, that changed for me, because I was suddenly moving around in a wheelchair. There was a period of rehabilitation in between, but even so you should not forget that as a wheelchair user you experience the world from a completely different perspective. Face-to-face interaction changes, and the way conversations take place looks very different. Everyone else is still standing at the same height, while my eye level is now somewhere around 1.30 metres. Your perception of perspective changes.
I never had a major problem with my disability itself. The problem usually lies with those who do not know how to deal with people with disabilities or who have an issue with it. Whether it is fear of contact or whatever the reason may be. When I was newly disabled and already quite challenged by my new situation, I repeatedly had to take the initiative in conversations. I always had to tear down this wall of unease, because I could sense that the person opposite me had a problem — perhaps not with my disability, but with their own feelings, their own insecurity. Again and again, I had to become active and help people overcome these barriers, and that is, of course, exhausting. Showing people that even though I am sitting in a wheelchair, they can talk to me in a perfectly normal and reasonable way. There is no need to slip straight into a mode of pity, because I cannot help it if another person is not feeling particularly good at that moment — or at least not most of the time. (Laughs.)
Were you interested in sport even before your accident?
Yes, absolutely. Here in the foothills of the Alps, you grow up in a rural environment. I come from a farm, and sport and physical activity are simply part of everyday life. Traditionally, children cycle to school. Behind our neighbour’s house there was a slope where we went skiing. In summer — we have beautiful lakes here — you go swimming, you mountain-bike in the mountains and up to the alpine pastures, you ride road bikes.
So you can hear that I was a very enthusiastic and versatile recreational athlete. However, I never had any ambitions to pursue elite or competitive sport.
How did you come to monoskiing, and how did you become a competitive athlete?
At the time, I read an article in a specialist magazine for people with physical disabilities that mentioned monoskiing. I had already been a passionate recreational skier before my accident, and I thought to myself: “If I could learn this, I might be able to get back on the slopes with my friends.” That was really the reason why I started to take an interest in it. I believe that in certain phases of life, you sometimes drift into things almost unintentionally. It often depends on circumstances or chance encounters — and that is how it happened for me as well.
I took a course with someone who was then a member of the Paralympic ski team and who ran ski courses in his spare time. Quite early on, he attributed a certain talent to me and kept an eye on me. He supported me a little, and at some point I was invited to a training camp to train with ski racers. I think I showed fairly quickly that I was developing well, and then one thing led to another, just as I told you earlier. It all happened very, very fast — almost unbelievably fast.
That was the situation and the time back then. I enjoyed it and let it happen. I was also incredibly lucky in many respects. For example, I was spared serious injuries, among many other things.
Martin Braxenthaler wins gold at the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver. | Photo: Private collection
As a consultant and mentor, you support other people with disabilities as well as companies and organisations. Where do you see general deficits in inclusion in Germany, and where specifically in German sport?
The issue of deficits in inclusion is, I believe, a very sensitive one. For me, inclusion means managing — within the given circumstances — to enable everyone in our society to live together, or at least to give them the opportunity and the necessary conditions to do so. Whether this is in communication, in construction, or in any other area.
There are barriers such as steps and staircases. But there are also barriers that exist in people’s minds. Barriers that arise from a lack of information or from fear of contact within our society. I believe you do not implement inclusion — you have to live it. And for me, inclusion means making the best of any given situation. Above all, people need to be sensitised, because I believe that is the best foundation for bringing inclusion into society.
Beyond that, I think it is incredibly important for our society that public buildings and general housing construction are planned, designed, and ultimately built to be as barrier-free as possible.
Accessibility is not only important for people with disabilities, such as wheelchair users, but is also extremely important for families — for parents with prams, for children, and for a significant portion of our society: the ageing population. This group simply wants to remain self-determined for as long as possible and to continue living in their own homes — just like all of us.
You support various projects and organisations that are close to your heart. Which ones are they, and why?
I am an ambassador for Laureus Sport for Good. The Laureus Foundation originated from the major sports award — often referred to as the Oscars of sport — the Laureus Sports World Award. It is a wonderful honour, one that I myself have received as well. (Laughs.) The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is committed to supporting disadvantaged children in difficult life situations. It supports projects that open up new perspectives for children through sport, bring them together, and help them find their footing in life and in society through socio-educational support. It also gives children the opportunity to experience and live values through sport, so that one day they can pass these values on themselves.
I support this wholeheartedly because I know exactly what opportunities sport can create. Beyond nationality, skin colour, or religion, sport connects people. And it does not always have to be elite sport — quite the opposite. Grassroots sport is the most important, because it is the broad base from which elite sport ultimately emerges. I believe that if all children in the world found joy in sport, many things in our world would be much easier. That is extremely important to me personally.
At the same time, I am very aware of my social responsibility in my home region. There, I serve as vice-chairman of a local sports club. As a board, we try to further develop the club, make it future-proof, and solve a wide range of challenges. I am also part of the youth leadership in football. I do not see our task as producing professional players, but rather as doing social work. Our region here in the Chiemgau area of south-eastern Bavaria is culturally very diverse, and I feel that in my role as a member of the club’s board I can definitely contribute something meaningful by helping to pass on values to our children.
Do you think people with disabilities face additional challenges in sport, particularly in elite sport?
Yes, without any doubt. I have heard comments from people involved in non-disabled elite sport suggesting that athletes with disabilities face less competition or that everything is easier for them. These remarks do not only come from athletes — they also come from coaches, managers, and others. I always have to firmly disagree with that.
People need to understand that an athlete with a disability is not only practising elite sport, but also managing their own life at the same time. That means living with a disability — sometimes a severe one — 24/7, every single day, while also performing at the highest sporting level. And one thing is clear: many people would not even manage to live independently with, for example, a spinal cord injury. That requires an enormous amount of mental strength, and only very few people with disabilities are able to achieve that. Once you have mastered everyday life, you then still have to be willing to dedicate what energy you have left to elite or professional sport.
That is why I always say to these people: yes, the conditions are different — but the athletes have a disability. You also need to keep in mind that those who compete at the highest level and serve as role models have to achieve significantly more than able-bodied athletes, because they are doing so while living with serious disabilities. That should never be overlooked. It does not matter whether someone is in a wheelchair, missing a hand, an arm, or a leg, or has another type of disability. It deserves the utmost respect when a person says that they want to make the best of their situation and give everything they have. In doing so, they often become — usually unintentionally — major role models in our society, not only for people with disabilities, but also for those without.
In your opinion, what qualities are needed to be successful in sport over the long term?
I believe you need a great deal of talent, determination, and also certain character traits. I always sum it up with three values: respect, fairness, and team spirit. Only then can you establish yourself sustainably and perhaps outperform the competition.
Many people have the desire, the talent, and the support to get started in sport. But many lack the gene for unconditional dedication. At some point, it becomes clear that if you want to achieve great things, you have to invest everything you can. That means energy, discipline, fighting spirit, the ability to endure suffering, and much more.
There is a saying that comes to mind: the hardest thing is not becoming the best. That is incredibly difficult, of course, but it may not be the hardest part. The hardest and most demanding task is staying the best. (Laughs.) Once you are the best, many others who want to be the best start watching you closely — what you do differently, what you do better, and why. You become the benchmark they aspire to. At the same time, you have to keep finding ways to develop further and stay one step ahead. Having that understanding, and the ability to put it into practice, is a real challenge. Fortunately, I managed that quite well during my active years.
Offenes Fenster would like to thank Mr Braxenthaler for his time. We are very grateful for the insights into his life as a para-athlete and feel honoured to be able to share them with the global chess community as inspiration and encouragement.
Martin Braxenthaler is one of the most successful athletes in Paralympic history. Over the course of a career spanning more than twelve years as a monoski racer, he won ten Paralympic gold medals. After the 2010 Games in Vancouver, he ended his competitive career. Since then, Braxenthaler has been actively involved in sport and beyond, working as a coach, mentor, and role model for young athletes, newly injured individuals, and also for people without disabilities. His work is underpinned by more than 25 years of personal experience as an active wheelchair user.
More about Martin Braxenthaler: https://www.martin-braxenthaler.de/
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