Wednesday, August 18, 2021
“I’m still alive, everything is fine”
Paralympics novice survived Taliban fire
Tim Focken is stationed in Afghanistan as a paratrooper for the German Armed Forces when he gets caught in a firefight that he barely survives. His arm remains paralyzed after an emergency operation. Now the 36-year-old is the first war disabled to start for Germany in the Paralympics.
With Tim Focken the bad memories are likely to come up these days. The former paratrooper knows the dramatic situation in Afghanistan only too well, because he too once looked death in the eye at the front. “In the end, I was lucky in the misfortune. I’m still alive, everything is fine,” said the sports soldier, looking back on his fateful day.
On October 17, 2010, the life of today’s para-sport shooter changed abruptly. A relentless fire fight developed in the village of Kalasai, and the Taliban surrounded his troops. An enemy sniper hit him on the left upper arm from an ambush. A rescue operation at a knife edge followed, a first auxiliary helicopter had to turn away under fire.
Focken stayed 50 seconds to save himself with the last of his strength into a second. He was immediately flown back to Germany, followed by an emergency operation lasting several hours in Koblenz. The doctors were able to save his life, but his left upper arm remained paralyzed. Focken accepted the situation, dared a fresh start – and appeared in Tokyo as the first war disabled for Germany at the Paralympics.
“Many see me as a kind of figurehead. I feel like one of many. I’m just as little light as everyone else,” said Focken very modestly: “Then I’ll be the first soldier to be deployed, ok. I’m happy , I’m honored. But I’m also happy when there is a catch. “
“Others have lost their lives”
Focken is not someone who quarrels with his fate. He is always looking for the positive. “Others have lost their lives. I can do almost everything I did before, except for a few compromises,” emphasized the 36-year-old. He is “fine”. And so he quickly broke new ground, in 2011 he joined the Bundeswehr’s program for sports therapy after injuries.
Two years later he impressively demonstrated his sporting talent at the Wounded Warrior Games in the USA, becoming the first European to win the all-around competition in eight years. After that he was able to choose his para-sport more or less freely, swimming and sport shooting were shortlisted. The choice fell on shooting, “because I was allowed to do everything close to home and age does not play such a big role”.
Within five years, the father of two rose to the top of the world. At the 2019 World Cup, he finished fourth with the small bore – and thus grabbed his starting place for the Paralympics (August 24 to September 5). In the final preparations, he is now trying as best he can to isolate himself from the terrible news from Afghanistan after the Taliban came to power, and he avoids media reports.
After all, Focken has big plans in Tokyo. “The goal of every athlete has to be a final. To be there is everything, this feeling is long gone,” said the native of Oldenburg: “I can be among the world’s best.” And maybe even crown his unique path with a medal.
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