Sascha Vergin
“I’m grateful for my little helper.”
Sascha Vergin (37)
How it all began
Despite his young age, Sascha from Dinslaken, Germany, has already spent a lot of time in hospitals. The sports enthusiast suffered a case of myocarditis—an inflammation of the heart muscle—at the age of 18. Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, which was followed by a pacemaker implantation in 1998. His future plans changed overnight, as his career as an amateur soccer player ended before it even began. He was also forced to put his education on hold.
Excelling with a pacemaker
He still did not give up. In addition to art and his profession as an occupational therapist, he has now gained new strength by bicycling –thanks to his pacemaker. The 37-year-old covers up to 10,000 kilometers a year on his bicycle. “I’m forever grateful for my little helper. I certainly wouldn’t be able to remain this active without it.”
England Tour 2015
Technology combined with boundless will
Sascha’s renewed sense of confidence drives him to ever new challenges. In 2015, he completed a three-day cycling tour through Great Britain. Together with two friends, he covered a total of 270 kilometers and 1,000 meters of elevation gain. The athlete proudly wore a jersey with the BIOTRONIK logo during his tour, since none of this would have been possible without his pacemaker from Berlin.
He was on tour again in May 2016, this time to raise money for the Children’s Heart Center in St. Augustin, Germany. His fundraising efforts will continue until August as he will participate in yet more charity cycles, including the RTF Classic Tour on July 17 in North Rhine-Westphalia. Your donation can also help!Find out more information on Sascha’s live blog.
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