Lera Doederlein is a multi-sport adaptive athlete who has been selected to represent Team USA at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Continue reading to learn more about the Paralympian.
Doederlein began participating in sports when she was 14 years old. She was introduced to sled hockey in 2017, months after her surgery, allowing her to participate in sports for the first time.
She now participates in Para-nordic skiing, sled hockey, swimming, and hand-cycling.
She was chosen to play for the 2019-2020 women’s US national sled hockey team only two years after being introduced to the sport.
Paralympic: Who Is Lera Doederlein? What Is Her Age?
Lera Doederlein was born in 2003 in a small town in Russia called Saratov making her 18 years of age. She is the youngest member on Team USA to compete in Para-nordic skiing.
She was born with arthrogryposis, a birth defect that would not allow her bones and muscles to develop normally. As her parents had no means to take care of her because her complex medical disability made it hard, she was put up for adoption.
A guy who was missing a leg introduced her to adaptive sports after she was fitted for her first prosthetics. She tried sled hockey because of him.
Because of her surgery, she is now able to enjoy a variety of sports including Para-nordic skiing, sled hockey, handcycling, sit volleyball, adaptive surfing, and wheelchair lacrosse.
A huge congratulations to former 21st Duck Lera Doederlein, who was just named to the U.S. team in Nordic Skiing for the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing! pic.twitter.com/mUBglq84sS
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 1, 2022
Lera Doederlein Wikipedia Details
Lera Doederlein was born with arthrogryposis, a birth defect that affects both her legs and hips. This was a condition that prevented bones and muscles from properly forming. As a result, she grew up with bent legs, bowed legs, and curled feet.
Her parents gave her up for adoption, and she was adopted by an American family almost two years later.
She was only 14 years old when she decided to have surgery in June 2017 because she wanted to play sports and knew in her heart that bilateral amputation was the only way she would ever be able to do so.
However, she did not try skiing until 2019, after much deliberation. Oksana Masters, a five-time Paralympian and gold medalist, introduced her to the world, for which she is eternally grateful.
As soon as she got on the snow, she fell in love with it. Just two weeks after her first attempt at skiing, she went to her first ski nationals.
Lera was named to the National Development Team a few months later, and she eventually relocated to Bozeman during the winter months to train for the Olympics in Beijing in 2022.
Is Lera Doederlein On Instagram?
Lera Doederlein can be found on Instagram as @lera_0415, where she posts about her life as an athlete.
She is currently keeping her 2.9K followers up to date on her journey to becoming a member of Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games.
In the snaps, she allows us to glimpse her being at home on the snow and on the ice. Sometimes, you can see her competing at handcycling.