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EXO / Exoskeleton Race

Project MARCH

NetherlandsNetherlands

About the Team

Project MARCH is a non-profit student team consisting exclusively of students without the guidance of a professor - not only in the preparation and participation in the CYBATHLON, but also in the development of their exoskeleton. The team members of Project MARCH interrupt their regular studies for one year, during which they raise the walking device to the next level. The name says it all: the goal is to enable someone with paraplegia to stand up and walk again. The current team of Project MARCH consists of 28 students from different fields, ranging from biomedicine to computer science. The team works closely with their pilot Daan van der Heyden and a physiotherapist.

About the Pilot

This is the first year that Daan van der Heyden is the pilot for Project MARCH.

Daan is 31 years old and lives in Gaanderen. In 2017, he suffered a spinal cord injury due to an accident on an off-road ride with his motorcycle. Before his accident Daan used to work as an orthopaedic shoemaker and was an active sportsman who, among other sports, played hockey and liked to sail.

Currently, Daan works as a volunteer in the Patient Advisory Board at Sint Maartenskliniek. Daan is also a dedicated full-time wheelchair basketball player. Until last year, Daan was a member of the Dutch national team. Presently, he plays wheelchair basketball at his club in Osnabrück, Germany. Daan will compete in the CYBATHLON 2024 using the MARCH IX prototype.

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