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INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE
6812-Joanna Mendak photo

Joanna Mendak

Polish flag
Poland
Swimming
9
4
4

Biography

Impairment information

Type of Impairment
Vision impairment
Classification
S13, SB13, SM13

Further personal information

Residence
Suwalki, POL
Occupation
Athlete, Physiotherapist, Sports Administrator
Languages
Polish
Higher education
Physiotherapy

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?
She began swimming at age six in Suwalki, Poland.
Why this sport?
Doctors suggested she try swimming as rehabilitation for a spinal problem she was experiencing.
Club / Team
START Bialystok: Poland
Name of coach
Wojciech Seidel [national], POL; Edward Dec [personal], POL

International debut

Year
2002
Competing for
Poland
Tournament
World Championships
Location
Argentina

General interest

Nicknames
Asia (megatiming.pl, 30 Oct 2015 )
Hobbies
Spending time with friends. (sport.tvp.pl, 04 Sep 2017)
Memorable sporting achievement
Winning gold in the S12 100m butterfly at three consecutive editions of the Paralympic Games between 2004 and 2012. (PSSON START Bialystok YouTube channel, 19 Feb 2019; sport.tvp.pl, 04 Sep 2017)
Injuries
She required shoulder surgery in April 2012 and then underwent a second procedure in November 2012. She returned to full fitness in September 2013. (plywacy.com, 18 Dec 2013)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"You have to work hard to make your dreams come true." (megatiming.pl, 30 Oct 2015)
Awards and honours
In 2019 she received the special 20th Anniversary Award from the Polish Paralympic Committee. (wirtualnesuwalki.pl, 12 May 2019)

She was named the 2014 Athlete of the Year by Polish newspaper Gazeta Wspolczesna. (start.bialystok.pl, 12 Feb 2015)

She received a special award for her sporting achievements from the Polish Paralympic Committee in 2013. (bialystok.gazeta.pl, 03 Feb 2013)

In 2013 she was honoured with the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by the president of Poland. She was also presented with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 2008. (Facebook page, 31 Aug 2017; paralympic.org.pl, 08 Sep 2016)
Other sports
She has represented Poland in Para cross-country skiing, including at the 2020 Paraski4Europe event in Poland. (Facebook page, 01 Mar 2020)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (Facebook page, 22 Jul 2019; radio.bialystok.pl, 03 Aug 2018)
Impairment
She was born prematurely which caused her to have no sight in her right eye and limited vision in her left eye. (plywacy.com, 18 Dec 2013)
Other information
OTHER ACTIVITIES
She serves as president of club IKS Herkules in Suwalki, Poland, where she also works as an instructor for children with impairments. She has also served as vice president of the Polish Federation of Para Sports. (suwalki24.pl, 01 Oct 2019; paralympic.org.pl, 09 Apr 2019)

Results

Unit Date Rank
IPC Swimming World Championships Eindhoven 2010 (Eindhoven, Netherlands)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Heat 2 2
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Final Round 2
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Heat 2 1
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Heat 2 2
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Final Round 1
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB12 Heat 1 5
Women's 100 m Backstroke S12 Heat 1 4
Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (Beijing, China)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 3
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Heat 1 2
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 4
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Heat 1 4
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Heat 2 1
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Final Round 1
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB12 Heat 2 4
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Final Round 2
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Heat 1 1
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB12 Final Round 7
IPC Swimming World Championships Durban 2006 (Durban, South Africa)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 1
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Heats 5
Women's 100 m Backstroke S12 Heats (S11/12) 2
Women's 100 m Backstroke S12 Final Round 1
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB12 Heats 5
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB12 Final Round 1
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Heats 1
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Final Round 1
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Heats 1
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 1
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Heats 2
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Final Round 2
Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (Athens, Greece)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Heat 2 4
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 4
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Heat 2 2
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Final Round 4
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Heat 1 2
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Final Round 1
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Heat 2 1
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB12 Final Round 5
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB12 Heat 2 2
Women's 100 m Backstroke S12 Final Round 5
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 3
IPC Swimming World Championships Mar del Plata 2002 (Mar del Plata, Argentina)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Final Round 3
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Heats 3
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Final Round 2
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Heats (S11/12) 2
Women's 100 m Backstroke S12 Final Round 5
Women's 100 m Backstroke S12 Heats (S11/12) 5
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 7
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Heats 7
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 5
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Heats 8
London 2012 Paralympic Games (London, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 100 m Butterfly S12 Final Round 2012-09-02 1
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Final Round 2012-09-03 4
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM12 Heat 2 2012-09-03 3
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 2012-09-04 4
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Heat 2 2012-09-04 2
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Heat 2 2012-09-07 2
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Final Round 2012-09-07 5
2013 IPC Swimming World Championships (Montreal, Canada)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Heat 2 2013-08-12 5
Women's 100 m Freestyle S12 Final 1 2013-08-12 5
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Heat 2 2013-08-15 5
Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Final 1 2013-08-15 4
Women's 100 m Backstroke S12 Final 1 2013-08-17 5
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB12 Heat 2 2013-08-18 8
2015 IPC Swimming World Championships (Glasgow, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 Final 1 2015-07-13 3
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 Heat 1 2015-07-13 5
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM13 Heat 1 2015-07-14 6
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM13 Final 1 2015-07-14 8
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 Heat 2 2015-07-18 9
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 Heat 2 2015-07-19 3
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 Final 1 2015-07-19 3
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 Final Round 2016-09-08 7
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 Heat 3 2016-09-08 2
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 Final Round 2016-09-14 5
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 Heat 1 2016-09-14 2
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 Heat 3 2016-09-16 5
Mexico City 2017 World Para Swimming Championships (Mexico City, Mexico)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 Final 1 2017-12-03 4
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 Final 1 2017-12-05 2