Get to know Marlene van Gansewinkel, the fastest woman on one blade! Born without a lower left leg or lower left arm, Marlene has an impressive set of medals as a Paralympic athlete. Marlene claimed two gold medals in the women’s 100m T64 and 200m T64 events at the 2021 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan. Now she has her eyes set on this year’s World Championships in Paris. CATch Up had the opportunity to chat with Marlene on her training habits, goals and advice for other aspiring para-athletes. Check out the inspiring interview below!

Meet Salum Kashafali, the fastest 100m male para-athlete! Diagnosed with Stargardt disease at the age of 23, Salum was forced to change his athletic career once he became visually impaired. Now, at the age of 29, Salum holds the world record for the T12 100m event with a time of 10.43s. Determined to better the lives of those in his home country, Salum donates the money he wins through competitions to schools in Congo. Born in Goma, Congo, Salum Kashafali fled to Norway in 2003 because of the civil war. At the age of 17, Salum found a love for athletics and started to make his mark on the sporting world at a national level. After being diagnosed with Stargardt disease (a loss of central vision) at the age of 23, Salum struggled to find purpose in continuing to train as a professional athlete. Determined to never give up, he is the fastest male 100m T12 athlete of all time, holding the world record. CATch Up had the opportunity to chat with Salum on his athletic career and his project in Congo. Find out more below!