Create an experience with Katja Dedekind

Katja Dedekind is an Australian Paralympic vision-impaired swimmer. She won a swimming bronze medal in the Women's 100 m Backstroke S13 at both the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Born in Durban, South Africa, but raised in the Sunshine State, Katja’s love affair with Para-swimming goes as far back as she can remember. Katja started playing goalball and at one stage, she trained alongside the Australian women’s team –  but Para-swimming remained a constant.

In 2016, those many years of commitment finally began to pay off. Having rightfully earned a place on the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team, Katja knew she had to make the most of her first opportunity to compete on the world stage, and came out swinging. Stunning her supremely more experienced rivals, Katja won a bronze medal in the women’s 100m backstroke S13.

Since then she has made the Australian Swim Team every year, from Para Pan Pacs in Cairns, to Worlds in London and finally to her second Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Katja also succesfully broke four Short Course World Records at the end of 2020. 

She was coached by Nathan Doyle while preparing for the  2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. At the games, she won bronze medals in the Women's 100 m Backstroke S13 and 400 m freestyle S13.