Skiffer Laurence VandeVyver secured the first-ever Belgian medal at a para rowing world championship.
VandeVyver put up a hell of a performance, rowing to a strong second place in the PR1 women’s single sculls, finishing in 10:17.77 behind defending world champion and European champion Anna Sheremet and ahead of the rest of the competition. Silver for Belgium! Like a true winner, she said she was happy with silver but a little disappointed that she didn’t win the gold medal.
This athletic performance is a tremendous feat by any standard, but even more so if you know VandeVyver’s history. The East-Flemish G-athlete is a born winner with a long story. The world first came to know her as a judoka who won multiple Belgian titles. Everything changed when she developed Guilain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder. Paralysis from the chest down meant the end of her career.
At least, the end of her career in judo. Rather than give up on sportive life, she went on to become an excellent hand cyclist, representing Belgium at the Tokyo Paralympics. So how did we get here? Laurence VandeVyver switched to para rowing in 2025. Once a winner, always a winner, so after competing at world level, her dream is to represent the Belgian colours in Los Angeles at the 2028 Paralympic games…in rowing.
