Wheelchair basketball star Lilly Sellak says fate “changed me for the better”

On the eve of Para sport’s debut at the FISU World University Games, wheelchair basketball star Lilly Sellak has one powerful message for anyone recovering from a life-changing moment like the one she endured on the way to school in 2019.

For the first time ever in the FISU World University Games Summer, wheelchair basketball players will be competing alongside non-disabled athletes in 3×3 basketball at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. It was also the case in alpine skiing and cross-country skiing at the Torino 2025 FISU World University Games Winter last January. This inclusive approach allows everyone to take center-stage at the same time in one of the most popular summer sport events.

In the amazing Jahrhunderthalle – which also had to reinvent itself from its past as coal mining hub into an impressive multi functional exhibition hall with a unique industrial vibe – 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball will certainly be part of the highlights of these upcoming FISU Games.

And under the steel roof, supported no doubt by the home crowd, one of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games’ rising stars: 3×3 wheelchair basketball player, Lilly Sellak.

Her story is one of courage, resilience, determination and hope. In 2019, Lilly was hit by a tram on her way to school. The collision damaged her spinal cord and broke several bones. “I can’t remember anything, but I was told I would probably never walk again. (But) I don‘t think you can just accept a stroke of fate like that. I would say it’s changed me for the better – I have come out stronger.”

The 16-year-old started an intensive rehabilitation programme at a specialist clinic. In between two sessions of physiotherapy and strength training, she tried wheelchair basketball. She had her first trial session only two days after being discharged from the clinic “and I have been playing ever since!” she adds with a smile.

Sport has always played an important role in Lilly Sellak’s life, as all her family members are or have been active. Her mother, with whom she is very close, was of course worried for her daughter after her accident. But Lilly never ceases to impress her.

“At first, I thought, ‘How is this going to work? How is she going to manage this?” Steffi Sellack says. “But it’s amazing how she manages to do it all. She knows she can achieve anything she wants – and she will.”

Sebastian Gillsch, her coach at RSV Bayreuth is equally impressed: “I think she herself may not yet be able to fully assess her potential. She is still young and hasn’t been in sport for very long. She is incredibly capable of learning, adapts extremely quickly to new situations. She is an absolute team player who always goes the extra mile.”

6th at Paris Paralympic Games

One of her greatest achievements came in 2023 when she became German champion with her team. She has also enjoyed success on the international stage with a fifth place finish at the U25 World Championship in Bangkok. These accomplishments were crowned by her being named Sportswoman of the Year 2024 in Nuremberg. In the same year, Lilly participated in the Paralympics in Paris, where the German team finished in sixth place.

“The Paralympics were a unique experience, but this year there are the FISU World University Games in Germany. I have heard from many who have taken part in previous editions that it was always a huge, cool, great experience. It is very important that for the first time this year, a para sport is included. I find it rewarding to be able to serve as a role model and show others who are newly injured what is possible despite their disabilities.”