User interviews
Steffen Zeibig
Steffen Zeibig was born without a right arm, left foot and right leg up to the thigh. But for this young man, it was no reason to give up and withdraw from life: quite the contrary, he has made a name for himself as a dressage rider.
Hallo Mr. Zeibig, your prostheses really look very interesting – where can you get something like this?
It has been designed by my orthopaedic technician from the surgical appliance retailer Orthopaedics and Rehatechnik Dresden GmbH – the company really went to a lot of trouble, the prostheses fit perfectly and look great. We selected this new design when I first started working as a model for medi.
How do you enjoy working as a model? And how did you come to do it?
Modelling is great fun, of course only because I am able to walk very well with the prostheses. It allows you to encourage others even when it is only a matter of enabling them to b more open about their disability. I am on the road a lot travelling to horse shows and training courses – including all over the world. It's not so easy to fit in a photo shoot as well, because I always need to find someone to look after my horses for that period. But it is huge fun travelling around with photographers. It all started late last summer with a photo shoot with medi at Chiemsee – and I didn't do too badly at all - judging by the photographs at any rate!
Does that mean that you may model more often in the future?
My great love is the equestrian sport, that is and remains my number one priority. I have been riding since I was small and have been participating in competitive sport for a long time now. Of course, you can't go on doing that forever – but I am still young and, in any case, there is still more I want to achieve in this field. For the last four years I have also been passing on my experience as a trainer, perhaps I might follow that direction later. But competitive sport or not – I will probably carry on riding forever! Time will tell how the modelling works out, but I would like to continue doing it.
What were your greatest successes in equestrian sports and what do you still want to achieve?
My greatest successes are the 3rd place in the individual event at the 2007 World Championships in England, 2nd place in the team event and 5th place in the individual event in the 2008 Hong Kong Paralympics. Since the middle of June 2009, I have also been the German Para-Dressage Champion. I would definitely like to continue taking part in international competitions in the future – and of course achieve good results. Right now my more immediate goals are the European Championships in Norway this year and the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010.
How do you get along with your prostheses?
I am very happy with my prostheses. Dresden GmbH also takes really good care of me, the team is always there for me if I have a problem. Now and then there are signs of technical wear and tear, but that is normal. ''Normal“ is also precisely the keyword – after all, I have had my disability since birth: I have always been treated by my family, my surroundings and my friends just the same as everyone else – so I don't feel disabled. Everyone is different – and so am I. It would be wonderful if other prosthesis wearers could also experience this level of acceptance.
Do you have contact with other amputees?
Sadly, very little. But I am very interested in how others cope. got to know some nice people at Chiemsee, where the photo shoot took place. We exchanged one or two tricks there…
What advice would you like to give to our readers?
… that you can do anything – you just have to really want it. In any case, it's no good only imagining how things might have been – you just have to get on with it and sometimes give even more than 100 percent. It might be just little things – but even these little things can sometimes be enormously important for the individual.
There is more information and details of how to contact Steffen Zeibig at www.steffen-zeibig.de.
