Emelie Endre

My name is Emelie Endre. I was born 10 weeks premature on 6 June 1997. As a result of a lack of oxygen during my birth I suffered a bilateral spastic CP injury. My injury affects mainly my legs, which means that I have reduced strength, balance and coordination. In addition, my fine motor skills have also been influenced to some extent.

For as long as I can remember, I have always liked to challenge myself and try different sports. In 2009 I played table tennis for the first time and immediately realized that this was something I wanted to continue with. The first few years I trained only in a para-athletic club, but now for the past several years I also train and compete with people without disabilities to get more training hours and a higher pace. In the fall of 2013, I played my first international competition for the Swedish National Team and since then I have participated in two European Championships. Most recently in Helsingborg during 2019.

Over the years I have spent a lot of time trying to find the right type of orthoses and shoes to allow me to play table tennis optimally. When I started playing I had my usual plastic Ankle-Foot-Orthoses, but they were both stiff, heavy and resulted in many abrasions. I also tried to play without any orthoses, but quickly realized that my feet needed more support. The challenge, therefore, was to find a couple of orthoses that were lightweight and enabled movement to a great extent, but still with good support.

The solution came while I was at a para-camp.  I discussed my problem with a guy who had a ToeOFF orthosis who recommend that I should try them. I soon realized that I had found what I was looking for.

Today I play with a ToeOFF FLOW on both feet and I have also combined it with an ankle orthosis on my right foot. My ToeOFF allows me to be more stable at the tennis table and also to move without tripping over my feet. They have become an important part of achieving my goals.

Right now, my short-term goal is to qualify for the Paralympics in Tokyo, even though the road there is long. In the long term, my goal is to become the world's best table tennis player and I work every day to get in that direction and enjoy the journey. Table tennis means a lot to me. I also hope to inspire people with disabilities to dare to test sports and find their passion.