Paris Paralympics 2024: Katja Dedekind opens up on intense injury battle en route to Games

Katja Dedekind has almost spent more time out of the pool in rehab than she has training this Paralympic cycle, but she won’t let that stop her from making the team for Paris. This is how she’ll do it.

Birmingham 2022 Australian Commonwealth Games athletes arriving at Brisbane Domestic Airport on Saturday 6 August 2022. Swimmer Katja Dedekind. Picture: Jerad Williams

Katja Dedekind has almost spent more time out of the pool in rehab than she has training this Paralympic cycle but the 22-year-old isn’t going to let that stop her making her third Paralympics team.

Dedekind, the fastest women’s 50m freestyle para-swimmer in history, has suffered a string of injuries since she set the World Record at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

First it was shoulder surgery early 2023 – just months before nationals.

“I still swam well. I’m still qualified thankfully and then had five months of training in the pool before my Worlds and was able to have my Worlds accolades and results despite that five months of training compared to the 12 months everybody else had.”

At Worlds, Dedekind finished first in the S13 50m Freestyle, but left Manchester with another injury.

Australia's Katja Dedekind won the women's 50m freestyle S13 swimming final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Picture: AFP

“We still don’t know how but I ended up having two knee procedures which I’m still recovering from,” Dedekind said.

“I haven’t had the best luck with injuries in the past three or four years but I’m definitely on the up so nationals will be a good starting point and then trials in June will be where the magic happens.”

To Dedekind it is just another roadblock she has had to overcome – something she has been doing her whole life.

Born in South Africa, along with her twin brother, Dedekind’s mother Jackie said they didn’t learn the full extent of her vision impairment until they moved to Australia when the children were six-years-old.

Katja Dedekind during the Australian 2024 Paris Olympic Games Speedo Uniform Squad Announcement at Atop Hotel X. Picture: Getty Images

Dedekind was born with congenital cataracts and amblyopia which limits vision in her left eye and causes blindness in her right eye. – she essentially sees the world through a keyhole.

Jackie said growing up Dedekind was treated just the same as her brother – she played all the same sports – even football, tennis and hockey.

“We didn’t give her special attention because of her disability,” Jackie said. “Very early in life she learned she just had to get on with it. She is very resilient and has always had a can-do attitude.”

Even at primary school Dedekind refused to sit out during physical education classes.

“She played water polo, she played netball, you name it,” Jackie said.

“She got injured a lot of the time because the ball would hit her in the face or she would end up hurting people because she didn’t see them.

“Because she wasn’t the best she didn’t enjoy it, but once we found avenues she could follow outside of school she found a community and it got her to where she is today.”

The first sport Dedekind found was goalball. She excelled at it. But she was also proving a natural in the pool.

Australian Katja Dedekind wins gold in the 50m S13 freestyle.in world record time. Picture: Michael Klein

As a teen, she had to choose between the two and landed on swimming.

Jackie said she never imagined it would lead to Dedekind being on the cusp of her third Paralympics.

Reflecting Jackie said Dedekind was spurred on to do so well because she couldn’t stand it when people told her she couldn’t do something because of her vision impairment.

“When she made her first school team to go to nationals I thought this was fantastic,” Jackie said.

“I never in my dreams thought I’d be the parent of a Paralympian. When she made her first Games at 15 and won a medal as well it was mind blowing.

“But I knew that Kajta had the determination in her and that can do attitude.

“When she made the team, someone said to her ‘you are not going to make the final’. She would say to me, ‘I’m not just going to make the final, I’m actually going to win a medal’.

“She is just like that, you must not tell her no because she will then prove you wrong.”

Katja Dedekind is a member of the Australia Para Dolphins Swim Team. Picture: Contributed

Dedekind will compete in the S13 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle events at the Nationals – the same three races she hopes to qualify for at the trials in June.

And while the ultimate goal is to step on the podium in all three races in Paris it is a thought Dedekind isn’t putting too much focus on just yet.

“People need to understand that making the team itself is a bloody big achievement,” Dedekind said.

“The plan right now is to make the team and then after that I’d like to set my goals on standing on the podium for all three events. But the most important thing at the moment is keep trying hard then get ready for trials in June in Brisbane.”

Originally published as Paris Paralympics 2024: Katja Dedekind opens up on intense injury battle en route to Games