Patrick Mayrhofer
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Born | 15 September 1987 |
| Years active | 6 |
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb) |
| Website | Patrick Mayrhofer on FacebookLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Snowboarding |
| Disability class | SB-UL |
Event(s) | Snowboard Cross, Banked Slalom |
| Coached by | Jean-Claude Keipes, Mario Ratz |
Medal record | |
Patrick Mayrhofer (born 15 September 1987)[1] is Austria's most successful Paralympic Snowboarder.[1] He won Silver in the Banked Slalom at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, Gold in the Banked Slalom at the 2015 World Para Snowboard World Championships in La Molina, Spain, and Silver in the Banked Slalom at the 2019 World Para Snowboard World Championships in Pyhä, Finland. In 2015 he was honored as the Paralympic Austrian Sports Personality of the Year (German: Behindertensportler des Jahres).[2]
Biography
[edit | edit source]Born in Helfenberg, Upper Austria in 1987,[2] Mayrhofer had been snowboarding since childhood.[1] He worked as an electrician until an accident in February 2008, when he guiltless touched a 6000-volt power line, causing serious injury on his right upper leg, left forearm and right hand. On his right hand the thumb and parts of the middle finger needs to be amputated. After several unsuccessful attempts to reconstruct the function of his left hand Mayrhofer decides to amputate his left hand. His surgeon Dr. Oskar Aszmann from the University of Vienna worked close together with the prosthesis technology company Ottobock. So Mayrhofer became the first patient in the world to undergo elective amputation. His left hand was amputated around 17 cm (6.7 inches) below the elbow in July 2010.[1] After this, he was fitted with a groundbreaking prosthesis, known as a "Michelangelo Hand",[3][4] The elective amputation allows Mayrhofer to control the prosthesis in the same way as non-amputees do:[5] EMG electrodes in the prosthesis detect muscle signals within the lower arm which can be used for prosthesis control.[3] He can open bottles, tie shoelaces and brush his teeth within a short period of time.[1][5] After the amputation, he worked closely with Ottobock's R&D department giving feedback to the engineers; in 2013 he joined the company as a product specialist in upper limb prosthesis.[6]
Paralympic sport
[edit | edit source]Visiting a prosthetics trade show in 2012, Mayrhofer saw a stall run by the Austrian Paralympic Committee, which led to him deciding to pursue para-snowboarding.[1][4] At the 2015 World Para Snowboard World Championships at La Molina, Spain, Mayrhofer won the gold medal in the Banked Slalom[7] and came fifth in snowboard cross.[8]
In the 2018 Winter Paralympics, he competed in both snowboarding events, coming fifth in snowboard cross on 12 March[9] but then winning the silver medal in Banked Slalom four days later.[10]
At the 2019 World Para Snowboard World Championships at Pyhä, Finland, Mayrhofer won the silver medal in the Banked Slalom.
Competition history
[edit | edit source]Personal life
[edit | edit source]Mayrhofer is married.[1]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c d e f g Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- Patrick Mayrhofer at World Para Snowboard
- Patrick Mayrhofer at the International Paralympic Committee Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Profile at Ottobock (archived)
- Athlete profile for the 2018 Winter Paralympics (archived)
- "My Incredible Story – Patrick Mayrhofer", a video interview on the International Paralympic Committee channel on YouTube
- Patrick Mayrhofer on FacebookLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- 1987 births
- Living people
- Austrian male snowboarders
- Paralympic snowboarders for Austria
- Paralympic medalists in snowboarding
- Paralympic silver medalists for Austria
- Medalists at the 2018 Winter Paralympics
- Olympic snowboarders for Austria
- People from Rohrbach District
- Sportspeople from Upper Austria
- Snowboarders at the 2018 Winter Paralympics