“Paralympic Champion Karolina Pelendritou Opens Up About Divorce and Sacrifices in Pursuit of Athletic Excellence”[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtY0YVEh5OA[/embed]

In a rare revelation about her personal life, Karolina Pelendritou, the silver Paralympic swimmer in Paris who married the journalist from ERT, Dimitris Chatzigeorgiou, a few years ago.

She gave an interview on a Cypriot television program, where she revealed that she divorced Papageorgiou last May.

The Paralympian emphasized that her personal life was a victim of her choice to compete at a high level.

“My personal life was of course a victim,” she stated. “When a person decides to follow a field and chooses to be very high, it’s like being at the tip of a pyramid. When you’re up high, you’re at the peak, you’re alone. The base is very different. So at some moments you have to make certain decisions. That’s why I said before, that there was and is a price to pay to be at a certain level.”

The top athlete further stated that her success in sports justified the sacrifices she has made in her life.

“Because I’ve matured now, I conclude that you can. I didn’t often have the maturity to do so, and it wasn’t practically possible. Professional sports is something very specific. Sleep, the demands, food, you have no flexibility anywhere. Summers always mean major events. So I certainly sacrificed many things. And friends, family, personal life, and outings. However, the result of this journey justified me.”

The couple had married about six years ago and made rare joint appearances at social events, preferring to maintain a lower profile. The two were together for several years before marrying.

The marriage to Dimitris Chatzigeorgiou

Speaking about three years ago regarding her marriage to journalist Dimitris Chatzigeorgiou, Karolina Pelendritou said:

“Dimitris and I have been together for many years. Certainly, when there’s an issue of disability, it’s not easy for the other person to accept it. It plays a role how much you have reconciled with your own problem.”

“It is very important for us to give meaning to others regarding how they will treat me. If I were a person, for example, who complained and was locked up at home… On the contrary, I am very independent as a person, I try not to burden others. And if those around us see this, they feel better too.”

“With Dimitris, our relationship is very honest, and I think that’s all long-term relationships need. We respect each other’s lives. Each of us has our own difficulties and peculiarities. The point is to be able to find a balance through all this.”

Her health issue that started when she was 9 years old

She has explained that her health problem began when she was 9 years old, perhaps even earlier. She started suffering from severe pains, and by the age of 14, she became a Balkan champion in swimming, which she began to improve her life.

At 16, she lost her sight, but she did not give up and a few weeks ago in Paris, she made history by winning her eighth medal at the Paralympic Games.

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