When it comes to supporting local sporting talent, SPAR is always first in line. Recently, SPAR Switzerland donated CHF 10,000 to 28-year-old wheelchair athlete, Patricia Keller. The money went towards helping Patricia buy a new high-tech wheelchair so that she can continue to compete in international athletics competitions and fight for her chance of being number one in the world.

Patricia works as a retailer at the SPAR Supermarket in Nottwil and was born with a condition called spina bifida, a malformation of the spine. Despite her handicap, she has become a keen wheelchair athlete, taking part in her first race at the young age of 11 and being awarded the prestigious Swiss Paralympic Newcomer Prize in 2005.

A 10 time Junior World Champion, Patricia has been part of Switzerland’s national team since 2011. At the Dubai Marathon earlier this year, she came in second place and in April at the London Marathon, she came in 15^th. Her great result at the Swiss Championships in June, qualified her for the 2018 Para European Athletics Championships in Berlin from 20-26 August.

Despite all her amazing achievements, Patricia remains an extremely grounded person: “Medals are not that important to me,” she says. She just loves the challenge and the feeling of representing her country at international events. She wants to buy a new wheelchair with the donation from SPAR to be even better and faster, and to help secure her participation in the world’s elite competitions.

Source: SPAR Switzerland

About SPAR Switzerland

SPAR Switzerland, originally an independent family-owned company with a local shareholder structure, was founded in 1989, when it was granted the licence by SPAR International to operate the brand.

In 2000, the family-owned business was transformed into a holding company with three operating companies: SPAR Handels AG, TopCC AG and SPAR Management AG. This move helped to give the company a modern, future-oriented structure. The business has recorded steady growth over the years, combining corporate and independently owned stores, spanning forecourt retailing to large supermarkets.

In early 2016, SPAR Switzerland announced the sale of 60% of shares to SPAR Group Limited, South Africa. The existing management team and shareholders remain in the business.