Malda Baumgartė
Malda Baumgartė (born 7 January 1965) is a Latvian-born Lithuanian retired paralympic athlete who competed at international track and field competitions, she competed in discus throw, javelin throw, shot put and formerly pentathlon. She is a double Paralympic champion and a world champion in her disciplines. She is also a former sitting volleyball player.[1][2]
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Ventspils, Latvia | 7 January 1965||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | Lithuania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Paralympic athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Disability | Incomplete spinal cord injury | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Disability class | F44 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Stabbing
On Christmas Eve, Baumgartė went to walk home after finishing her work shift late at night. She decided to take a shortcut rather than taking her normal route back to her house, a man jumped out of some bushes nearby and stabbed Baumgartė in her back twice. She was spotted lying on the snow in her blood by a passerby hours later. Doctors managed to reconnect the nerves in her spine and was hoped that she would be able to walk again; she required the use of a wheelchair for three to four months. The man who stabbed Baumgartė was sentenced to eight years in jail. She decided to move to Lithuania and gained Lithuanian citizenship in a short space of time.[3]
References
- "Malda Baumgarte - IPC Profile". International Paralympic Committee. 1 January 2022.
- "Malda Baumgarte (in Lithuanian)". University of Lithuania. 1 January 2022.
- "Malda Baumgarte: from a stab in the back to a Paralympic champion (in Lithuanian)". etaplius. 8 August 2020.