Elif İldem (born 1995, Üsküdar, Istanbul) is a national Paralympic swimmer and clinical psychologist. Diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, she began swimming at age 20 upon her doctor’s recommendation and went on to become a record-breaking athlete. She speaks English at an advanced level and Spanish at a beginner level. ^【1】

Educational Career and Start in Swimming

After completing primary and secondary education, Elif İldem graduated with honors from Istanbul Altınay College and was admitted to the English Language Psychology program at Istanbul Bilgi University in 2013. Beginning her university studies with an English preparatory program, she graduated first in her faculty from the English Language Psychology Department at Istanbul Bilgi University in 2017 and later completed the Clinical Psychology program at Bahçeşehir University with high honors, earning the title of Clinical Psychologist.

Elif İldem, who has CMT Type 2, a form of polyneuropathy, began professional swimming at age 20 under the auspices of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club, following her doctor’s recommendation.^【2】

Volunteer Activities

Elif İldem’s volunteer activities focus on social responsibility, child welfare, and trauma prevention. Since December 2015, she has participated in initiatives organized by the Leukemia Children Foundation (LÖSEV), contributing to project support and awareness campaigns. Between September 2015 and June 2017, she served in the events unit of the Violence and Trauma Prevention Research Group (Bilgi Açık Kapı) at Istanbul Bilgi University, actively engaging in various social responsibility projects.

From January 2015 to 2017, she was a member of the project committee of the Istanbul Bilgi University Social Responsibility Club (BİLUM), participating in the development of new projects and promoting participation in existing social responsibility initiatives. From July to August 2016, she served as an assistant in the Tarlabaşı Community Center project led by Assistant Professor Dr. Zeynep Çatay, supporting activities for children in the neighborhood.

Elif İldem (Anadolu Ajansı)

Between December 2015 and June 2017, she served as an assistant to academic speakers during the National Violence and Trauma Prevention Congress organized under the World Human Relief Project led by Assistant Professor Dr. Ayten Zara. Within the same project, she contributed to organizing fundraising campaigns and New Year’s events benefiting children in Africa and the Nepal Village School Project.

From September 2015 to August 2016, she served as the archivist for the Turkish Psychology Students Working Group (TPÖÇG), managing its documentation and archiving processes. Additionally, between 2014 and 2015, she held various roles at the Child Studies Unit (ÇOÇA) of Istanbul Bilgi University, contributing to child-focused academic and applied research.^【3】

Swimming Career and Achievements

Training under the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club, Elif İldem trains at the IBB Cebeci Sports Complex in the Sultangazi district of Istanbul, beginning each day with warm-up exercises and completing daily swimming sessions of 1.5 to 2 kilometers.

Elif İldem participated in the Turkish Physical Disabilities Swimming Championships between 2015 and 2025, consistently achieving strong results.^【4】

Achievements

Elif İldem (Anadolu Ajansı)

• Between 2015 and 2025, Elif İldem won approximately 40 first-place finishes at the Turkish Physical Disabilities Swimming Championships, establishing a significant national performance record.
• At the 2017 World Para Swimming Series in Berlin, Germany, she won one silver and one bronze medal.
• In the same year, she reached the finals at the World Championships in Mexico.
• At the 2019 World Para Swimming Series in Berlin, she earned three gold and one silver medal.
• At the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London, she reached the finals in the 50 m and 100 m backstroke events, finishing fifth in both categories.
• At the 2021 European Championships in Portugal, she reached the finals in the 50 m and 100 m backstroke events.
• At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, she competed in the S1 class in the 50 m and 100 m backstroke events, reaching the finals; in the 100 m freestyle event in the S3 category, she set a Paralympic Games record for her class (S1).
• At the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships in Portugal, she placed fourth in the 100 m backstroke S1 and fifth in the 50 m backstroke S1.
• In the same period, she achieved fourth place in the world in the 100 m backstroke S2 category with a time of 3:26.75 and fifth place in the 50 m backstroke S2 category with a time of 1:37.05.
• At the 2023 Manchester World Para Swimming Championships, she placed fifth in both the 50 m and 100 m backstroke S1 events (times: 50 m back 1:39.28; 100 m back 3:24.05).
• At the 2024 Funchal European Swimming Championships, she placed fourth in the 100 m backstroke S1 and fifth in the finals of the 50 m and 100 m backstroke and freestyle events (times: 50 m back 1:39.71; 100 m back 3:26.42; 50 m free 1:36.41; 100 m free 3:29.03).
• At the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, representing Türkiye, she placed fourth in her heat and ninth overall in the 100 m backstroke S2 category with a time of 3:37.03; she placed fifth in her heat and ninth overall in the 50 m backstroke S2 category with a time of 1:44.64.
• At the 2025 Barcelona World Series events, her results qualified her for the Singapore World Para Swimming Championships (times: 50 m back 1:44.69; 200 m free 7:45.93; 100 m back 3:42.91; 50 m free 1:43.43).
• At the 2025 Singapore World Para Swimming Championships, she recorded times of 7:34.27 in the 200 m freestyle S2, 1:40.26 in the 50 m backstroke S2, and 3:39.83 in the 100 m backstroke S2.
• Overall, Elif İldem’s performance demonstrates consistent progress at the international level, marked by repeated final appearances, medal-winning results, and record-breaking achievements.^【5】

In addition, following an invitation from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Elif İldem qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, Osman Aşkın Bak, congratulated her and issued an official message of celebration.^【6】