Marieke Vervoort

Marieke Vervoort
Vervoort in 2012
Personal information
Nickname(s)Wielemie
Born(1979-05-10)10 May 1979
Diest, Belgium
Died22 October 2019(2019-10-22) (aged 40)
Diest, Belgium
Sport
Country Belgium
SportWheelchair racing
Disability classT52
Medal record
Representing  Belgium
Women's para-athletics
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 100m T52
Silver medal – second place 2012 London 200m T52
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 400m T52
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100m T52
IPC World Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 Doha100 m T52
Gold medal – first place2015 Doha200 m T52
Gold medal – first place2015 Doha400 m T52
IPC Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place2015 Nottwil 200m T52
Gold medal – first place2016 Nottwil 1,500m T52
Gold medal – first place2016 Nottwil 5,000m T52
Women's paratriathlon
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2007 HamburgAWAD PC1

Marieke Vervoort (10 May 1979 – 22 October 2019) was a Belgian Paralympic athlete. She suffered from an incurable, degenerative muscle disease. In the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Vervoort won a gold and silver medal. In the 2016 Summer Paralympics, she won a silver and bronze medal.

She won several medals at Paralympics, she received world attention in 2016 when she revealed that she supported euthanasia. She was born in Diest, Belgium.

Personal life

Vervoot had epilepsy. She lived with her assistance dog, Zenn.

In 2012, Vervoot wrote a book called Wielemie. Sporten voor het leven (In English, it means "Wielemie. Sports for life."). In 2017, she wrote another book called De andere kant van de medaille (In English, it means "the other side of the coin").

Vervoot was lesbian.

Death

Vervoort ended her life through euthanasia on 22 October 2019 at the age of 40.

References

  1. ↑ Sage, Adam (23 October 2019). "Paralympian Marieke Vervoort ends her life through euthanasia". The Times. London, England. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  2. ↑ "Paralympian Marieke Vervoort dies through euthanasia". 23 October 2019 – via www.rte.ie.
  3. ↑ "Diest – mijn stad. EXPO 100% Wielemie" (PDF). Sportimonium. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "Paralympian Marieke Vervoort dies by voluntary euthanasia, aged 40". ABC News. October 23, 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "BIOGRAFIE – Marieke Vervoort". The Wayback Machine (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  6. ↑ "Marieke Vervoort is Grootofficier in de kroonorde". Het Nieuwsblad. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019
  7. 1 2 "Paralympian Marieke Vervoort dies by voluntary euthanasia". ABC News. 2019-10-23. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  8. ↑ "Marieke Vervoort: Paralympian who has signed euthanasia papers". BBC Sport. 2016-12-15. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  9. ↑ "DPG Media Privacy Gate". myprivacy.dpgmedia.be. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  10. ↑ "DPG Media Privacy Gate". myprivacy.dpgmedia.be. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  11. ↑ "Belgium's Out Paralympian Is Not Planning to Die Right After Rio Games". www.advocate.com. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  12. ↑ "Rolstoelatleet Marieke Vervoort (40) is overleden na euthanasie | VRT NWS". www.vrt.be. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  13. ↑ "Η Παραολυμπιονίκης που δεν άντεξε τον πόνο – Έκανε ευθανασία στα 40 της χρόνια". newsit.gr. 23 October 2019.
  14. ↑ "Marieke Vervoort: Tribute to the Paralympian, who ended her life through euthanasia". BBC Sport. 23 October 2019. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019 – via BBC News.

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