Long Jumper.  Sprinter.  World Record-Holder.  Wakeboarder.  Prosthetist.  4-Time Paralympic Champion.

In 2003, at age 14, after a wakeboarding accident, Markus Rehm had his right leg amputated below the knee.  This dealt an extremely harsh blow to the athletic teenager accustomed to physical activity and competition in his native Germany.  The first few months were difficult, both physically and mentally.  Until Markus thought about his bicycle.  What would it be like to ride it again?  A successful trip around the neighborhood was enough to inspire a new way of thinking.

“That's when ambition seized me.  I wanted to know what else I was capable of despite the prosthesis.”

A chance meeting with German paralympian sprinter Heinrich Popow led to an invitation to attend a Paralympic event in Leverkusen.  Markus was impressed and inspired.  He was granted a sports prosthesis, and since then, has set the long jump record for para-athletes. 

Known today as ‘The Blade Jumper,” Markus is wearing Össur’s latest prosthetic innovation, the Cheetah Xpanse foot while pursuing the able-bodied world record.  His jump of 8.48 meters, in Berlin, would rank third on the list of 2019 performances by able-bodied jumpers.

Update June 2021: Markus just broke his world record with a jump of 8.62 meters.

Update May 2022: Markus jumped a new personal best T64 8.66 meters at the Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck

Update June 2023: Markus broke his Long Jump world record with a fantastic jump of 8.72 meters.

"I don't want to have a limit in my mind.”

Athletic Accomplishments

Paralympic Experiences

• London 2012, Gold medal, first place long jump T44
• London 2012, Bronze medal, third place 4x100 m T42-46
• Rio 2016, Gold medal, first place, Long jump T44
• Rio 2016, Gold medal, first place, 4×100 m T42-47

IPC World Championships

• Christchurch 2011, Gold medal, first place, Long jump T44
• Lyon 2013, Gold medal, first place, Long jump T44
• Doha 2015, Gold medal, first place, Long jump T44
• Doha 2015, Gold medal, first place, 4×100 m T42-47
• London 2017, Gold medal, first place, Long Jump T64 (T44)
• Doha 2019, Gold medal, first place, Long Jump T44

IPC European Championships

• Stadskanaal 2012, Gold medal, first place, 100 m T44
• Stadskanaal 2012, Gold medal, first place, Long jump T42/44
• Swansea 2014, Gold medal, first place, Long jump T42/44
• Swansea 2014, Bronze medal, third place, 100 m T44
• Grosseto 2016, Gold medal, first place, Long jump T44
• Grosseto 2016, Gold medal, first place, 4×100 m T42-47
• Berlin 2018, Gold medal, first place with a new world record, Long Jump T64, 8.48m