Career
She started swimming aged six, had her first international competition at age 13, her first medal at world championships at 16, and retired at 25 in 1990, though she briefly resumed competing in 1995–1996 in the United States. In the early 1990s she studied law at a university, but when the courses were halted in 1992 as a result of the unification of East and West Germany she went to the Palm Beach Community College in Florida.