Verena Bentele is the president of the largest German social association, the VdK, representing the socio-political interests of over 2.2 million members. Since 2022, she has also been the vice president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). From 2014 to 2018, she served as the Federal Government Commissioner for the Affairs of People with Disabilities. Prior to her political career, Verena Bentele was a successful elite athlete in cross-country skiing and biathlon, winning 12 gold medals at the Paralympics and 4 gold medals at the World Championships.