Anne Marie Wicher

Successful athlete and politically active on behalf of people with disabilities

“I saw and still see it as a challenge and a duty to use my ‘talents’ in every conceivable way for the benefit of disabled people.”

Those who had the privilege of knowing Anne Marie Wicher found her to be an exceptionally impressive and versatile woman. In addition to her work as a travel agent, which she took up after graduating from high school in 1953, and her family, sport always played a central role in her life. Even when she contracted a viral infection in 1969 that left her paraplegic, Anne Marie Wicher was far from giving up sport. She became national champion in disabled sports in 1975 and 1983 and was also extremely successful in international competitions. She switched from athletics to table tennis and won gold medals in the table tennis team competition for paraplegics at the World Championships in 1977 and 1978. This was followed by two consecutive gold medals in the table tennis team competition at the Paralympics in 1980 and 1984.

Her sporting career was followed by a political one. Wicher, who had joined the Austrian Paraplegics Association (VQÖ) in 1974 and served as its secretary until 1997 – and subsequently as its vice-president and member of the executive committee – was invited by Governor Josef Krainer in 1995 to stand as an independent member of the Styrian state parliament.

From 1996 onwards, she was a member of the state parliament as a representative of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). The focus of her political work, which lasted until March 2009, was on social and family policy, health, culture, sport and tourism, and she was particularly appreciated for her commitment to people with disabilities and her efforts in social and family policy across party lines. Her groundbreaking achievements included the establishment of a nursing advocacy service, the creation of an outpatient clinic for the deaf and the appointment of a dedicated advisor for barrier-free construction. At the same time, Wicher was the women’s representative for disabled women in the city of Graz from 1997 onwards.

Anne Marie Wicher has received numerous honours for her commitment: in 1994, she was named Viva Woman of the Year by ORF, and on 24 June 2009, she was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold by the Province of Styria for her services.