'''Evelyn van Leeuwen''' (born 15 May 1972) is a Dutch [[wheelchair basketball]] player from [[Leiden]].<ref name="auto">[{{Cite web|url=https://www.medischcontact.nl/nieuws/laatste-nieuws/artikel/ik-ga-altijd-voor-het-hoogst-haalbare.htm|title=‘Ik ]ga altijd voor het hoogst haalbare’|website=www.medischcontact.nl}}</ref><ref>[{{Cite web|url=https://teamnl.org:443/sporters/5611-evelyn-van-leeuwen|title=Evelyn ]van Leeuwen|website=teamnl.org}}</ref> She won the silver medal at the [[1996 Summer Paralympics]]<ref>[https://www.medischcontact.nl/nieuws/laatste-nieuws/artikel/ik-ga-altijd-voor-het-hoogst-haalbare.htm]<name="auto"/ref> and 20 years later bronze medal at the [[2016 Summer Paralympics]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.org/static/info/rio-2016/eng/zb/engzb_wheelchair-basketball-athlete-profile-nwbw400ned01-netherlands.htm|title=Wheelchair Basketball - Netherlands|website=www.paralympic.org|access-date=2020-07-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.org/evelyn-van-leeuwen|title=Evelyn van Leeuwen - Wheelchair Basketball {{!}} Paralympic Athlete Profile|website=International Paralympic Committee|language=en|access-date=2020-07-19}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Wheelchair Basketball {{!}}Netherlands VS Great Britain{{!}}Women's - Bronze Match Rio 2016 Paralympic Games|url=https://www.paralympic.org/video/wheelchair-basketball-netherlands-vs-great-britainwomen-s-bronze-match-rio-2016-paralympic|access-date=2020-07-19|language=en}}</ref>
She also played at the [[2000 Summer Paralympics]], [[2004 Summer Paralympics]] and [[2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship]].
From a young age Van Leeuwen was a low-level competitive [[speed skater]]. When she was 18 years old she crashed during a competition in [[Leiden]]. There wasn’t a proper safety boarding causing her a [[spinal cord injury]]. After two years of revalidation she started with sports. As rowing was not possible she started with wheelchair basketball. After contacting the national
coach she was able to become part of the national team.<ref>[https://www.medischcontact.nl/nieuws/laatste-nieuws/artikel/ik-ga-altijd-voor-het-hoogst-haalbare.htm]<name="auto"/ref>
Van Leeuwen is a [[general practitioner]]. Together with Jeroen she had four daughters.<ref>[https://www.medischcontact.nl/nieuws/laatste-nieuws/artikel/ik-ga-altijd-voor-het-hoogst-haalbare.htm]<name="auto"/ref>
