Stephanie Beckert

www.eis-beckerts.de
www.facebook.com/stephanie.beckert.5

When and where did you begin this sport?	She began skating at age three. She took up speed skating at age 10.
Reason for choosing this sport	She originally did figure skating, but could see the speed skating track from where she trained and was attracted by the elegance of the sport. Her mother also skated.

Most influential person in career	Her parents. (Athlete, 04 Dec 2011)
Hero / Idol	German speed skater Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann. (spiegel.de, 14 Feb 2010)
Injuries	She strained a ligament in her right knee in October 2017. (morgenpost.de, 29 Oct 2017) She has suffered from back problems due to the position she takes while skating. Her preparations for the 2011/12 season began three months late while she received treatment. (augsburger-allgemeine.de, 03 Nov 2011; faz.net, 12 Mar 2011)
Famous relatives	Her brother Patrick Beckert represented Germany in speed skating at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Her other siblings Pedro and Jessica have also competed in speed skating at an elite level. (sports-reference.com, 2016; t-online.de, 11 Feb 2014; eis-beckerts.de, 27 Sep 2013)
Other information	RETIREMENT She retired from competitive speed skating in June 2019 due to worsening injury problems. "After so many years of competitive sport, it is important to recognise and accept the signs of your own body." (tagesspiegel.de, 11 Jun 2019)