At an age more given to cardigans and cups of tea, 69-year-old grandmother Emilie Gradisek (picture left) still dons a tracksuit as the spiritual leader of Slovenia’s sitting volleyball team at the Beijing Paralympics. The oldest Paralympian in Beijing, Gradisek’s forays into the cut and thrust of competition have earned her three world championship medals with the high-achieving Slovenians.

On Sunday, Gradisek narrowly missed out on Paralympic honours after her team lost its bronze medal match to the Netherlands. Having surrendered the floor to younger bodies, Gradisek spends more time on the bench than on court these days, acting as a motivator and a pillar of wisdom beside the coach.

“It makes me feel very proud to be the oldest Paralympic athlete,” said Gradisek, who resides in Ravne na Koroskem, a sleepy resort town in northern Slovenia.

Spiritual leader

“I’m the spiritual leader. I make the players feel good about themselves and make them laugh. I cook good energy for the whole team. And excellent coffee!”

Gradisek, who is quick to laugh and sports a shock of ginger hair, joined the team over 10 years ago on the invitation of coach Adie Urnaut, as a way of getting her over the doldrums of hip surgery.

“I felt handicapped at the time. But now I know that even with a handicap you can still be happy and especially on the field when you win... I stayed with the team because sport makes me feel young,” she said.

If not for love and Cold War politics, however, Gradisek may well have been playing for the Czech Republic.

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