Gitte Haenen (born 23 March 1986) is a Belgian Paralympic athlete who competes in

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

and

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

events in international level events. She is also a former

paratriathlete Para triathlon is a variant of the triathlon for athletes with a physical disability. The sport is governed by World Triathlon (TRI) (formerly known as ITU), and was first held as a Paralympics, Paralympic event at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio ...

and Thai boxer competing in an elite level. In 2010, Haenen was involved in an accident in a Thai boxing training session. She was accidentally kicked in the left knee which tore her

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...

and had to have many operations and rehabilitation, however in 2014, her left knee worsened and Haenen suffered with chronic pain and nerve damage and was prescribed

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a analgesic, pain medication, and is also commonly used recreational drug, recreationally, or to make ...

for her injury. She was forced to give up boxing and her left leg was amputated above the knee in March 2016.

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* 1986 births Living people Sportspeople from Ghent Paralympic athletes for Belgium Belgian female sprinters Belgian female long jumpers Belgian amputees Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the World Para Athletics Championships Medalists at the World Para Athletics European Championships {{DEFAULTSORT:Haenen, Gitte