henrieta farkasova

Slovakian ski champion Henrieta Farkašová has achieved an incredible amount of success in her career to date. The list of her gold medal achievements at the Winter Paralympics and World Championships is extraordinary. To date, she has 11 golds, two silvers, and one bronze from four editions of the Games. She also has 17 golds, three silvers, and one bronze won at successive World Championships since 2009. Her brilliance has seen her named Paralympic Athlete of the Year twice in her home country, who have also presented her with the Ludovit Stur Order (First Class). In 2019, she won the prestigious Para Athlete of the Year Award at the Laureus World Sports Awards. She also won the IPC’s Best Female Award for her success at the 2018 Winter Paralympics (she won more medals than any other female competitor in any competition).

Farkašová was born in Rožňava, Slovakia, in May 1986 and has been visually impaired since birth, which doctors believe may be related to the Chernobyl disaster, which happened the week before she was born. As a skier, she competes in B3 category events and skis with a guide. She took up skiing aged 17 on a high school trip, despite never having shown an interest and coming from a particularly mountain-free area. But she was instantly smitten and made her first impression on the world stage at the 2009 World Championships where she won two gold medals and one silver.

Since then, the medals and accolades have not stopped pouring in as Farkašová has become one of the most decorated athletes of her generation.