Aron Anderson | |
|---|---|
 Anderson in 2014 | |
| Born | Aron Karl Riggert Anderson January 26, 1988[ citation needed ] Stockholm, Sweden |
| Occupation(s) | Athlete, motivational speaker, adventurer |
Aron Karl Riggert Anderson (born 26 January 1988) is a Swedish adventurer, motivational speaker and a paralympian-athlete. Anderson was the first wheelchair user to summit Sweden's highest mountain, Kebnekaise, and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. [1]
In January 1996, Anderson and his parents were told by doctors he had cancer in his lower back. [1] He was treated with chemotherapy and radiation throughout 1996 and early 1997. [2] The treatments did not work, and in late 1997 the cancer was removed surgically, at which time Anderson lost function in both legs. [2] [3]
He competes as a celebrity dancer in Let's Dance 2022, which is broadcast by TV4. [4] He is also the first dancer to use a wheelchair on the show. [5]
Aron Anderson became a para-athlete in three different sports, sailing, athletics and sledge-hockey and has participated in four Paralympic Games. [6] Between 1999 and 2005, he competed in sailing, he stopped competing after the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece. [7] He instead started fully competing in athletics and sledge-hockey. [7]
In 2012, he was forced to stop competing in athletics as he had to undergo a hip operation which made it impossible for him to compete at elite level [8] . He also stopped playing sledge-hockey after the World Championships in 2013, to set his mind on only adventures and lecturing. [9]
On 1 August 2013, he was the first wheelchair user to climb to the top of Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest mountain, [8] using crutches and "crawling" with his arms. [3] He is also the first person in a wheelchair to have climbed to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. [8] The expedition was led by adventurer Johan Ernst Nilson. [10] He reached the peak at 15.00 (CET) on 1 August 2013. [11] In 2014, he decided to complete a Swedish Classic, in which he competed in and finished the long-distance endurance events of Vasaloppet, Vätternrundan, Vansbrosimmet and the Lidingöloppet during one year, this also as the first wheelchair user. [12] On 7 August 2015, he swam in 14 degree water for 37 kilometers over the sea of Åland between Grissleham to Åland, a swim that took him 13 hours to complete. [13] In 2019, Anderson competed in the competition show Vinnarskallar which was broadcast on TV4, where he competed against other Swedish para-athletes. [14] He won the show. [15] He has also skied through Antarctica, a monthlong journey and the first person in a wheelchair to do it. [16] [17] [18] In December 2018, Anderson joined with singer Peg Parnevik to be ambassadors for Musikhjälpen which was broadcast on SVT and on radio for Sveriges Radio. [19]
Anderson works as a motivational speaker. [20] [21] He is also an ambassador for Barncancerfonden, a children's cancer foundation, and has through his adventures also helped to raise money for the cause. [22] [17] In 2017, Anderson presented an episode of the radio show Sommar i P1 , speaking about his struggles and successes in life. [23] [24]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
