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Photo: Christoph Soeder/dpa
The world-class athlete Anna-Lena Forster reports from the plane. The Para Athlete of the Year 2023 was one of the first to board the plane to Japan because she is in a wheelchair. The monoskier wants to continue her impressive winning streak in Sapporo this weekend: The four-time Paralympics champion and nine-time world champion has won every World Cup so far this season.
SPIEGEL:
Ms. Forster, 13 victories in 13 World Cup races - how do you explain your current dominance?
Forster:
I'm a professional athlete and don't have to concentrate on anything else. Many of my competitors work, don't have my training opportunities and also train a lot less. Unfortunately, the starting field is currently sparse - this will certainly increase again in the run-up to the 2026 Paralympic Games.
SPIEGEL:
Why aren't there so many female monoskiers at the moment?
Forster:
Good question, I can't fully explain it myself. Five years ago we had a really good field, but some of them quit and there are no new blood coming. Access to skiing is difficult for people with disabilities. It is a very complex, very expensive sport.
SPIEGEL:
You work at customs. Can you give us a glimpse into your everyday training routine?
Forster:
We only don't ski for three months a year. We are in the mountains from mid-August to the end of May. We mostly train on the slalom courses and have athletics, physio treatments or mental training in between. Of course, regeneration is also part of it.
SPIEGEL:
Since you were born, you have been missing your right leg and the left one is shortened. Your parents still took you to the ski slopes. The monoski bob has been around since the late 1980s. Did you start directly on this device?
Forster:
There were no devices for children back then, so I had to stuff my seat shell. I drove with a borrowed device for the first few years before my parents bought me one. A monoski like this costs up to 6,000 euros.
SPIEGEL:
And did you like it straight away?
Forster:
Well, at the age of six, skiing on the glacier in minus 15 degrees - the enthusiasm wasn't there straight away. There were a few tears because it was so cold and my leg hurt. Only after I took ski courses and realized that I was really good at it did things get better.
SPIEGEL:
Can you explain the feeling of riding on a monoski bob for those who haven't had this experience yet?
Forster:
It can't be compared with a sleigh. The frame has a damper that is intended to simulate the function of the knee and cushions shocks. We sit in a seat shell that is individually adapted to our buttocks. It has to fit as tightly as a ski boot. I control the device from my hips, the crutch skis are there to maintain balance.
SPIEGEL:
How dangerous is monoski skiing?
Forster:
If you travel at high speeds, you can injure your arms, upper body or shoulder. Broken bones occur regularly in racing.
SPIEGEL:
Two years ago, shortly after your four World Cup titles, you said that there was still a lot to do when it came to inclusion in sport. How do you see the situation today?
Forster:
People talk about it a lot, but there are still various barriers. Sports facilities are not accessible to disabled people, sports clubs do not open their doors to people with disabilities. Something is already happening, new buildings have to be accessible to disabled people, but the conversion of the old sites is progressing slowly.
SPIEGEL:
The big stage for para athletes is the Paralympics. How is the attention in between?
Forster:
Nothing has happened in this matter in the past few years. We have little media attention – like other fringe sports. At most competitions we don't have spectators unless friends or family come. No tickets will be sold. School classes were recently driven to the track in Cortina d'Ampezzo, which was nice.
SPIEGEL:
Does that frustrate you?
Forster:
Yes, totally. I think there are ways to do more with it. We are now organized under the World Ski Association Fis. But that still has no effect in terms of reach and attention. I don't understand why our competitions aren't scheduled soon after the able-bodied competitions. The conditions on site are there, the slopes are prepared, everything is set up.