[5] Then, after seeing a demonstration by Belgian Paralympic athlete Marieke Vervoort of what she could do with her wheelchair, she switched to para-athletics at age 18, specializing in 100 to 400 metres.

Bayekula started the first Paralympics of her career with a win in the heats of the 800 metres, progressing her through to the final, where after leading for a long time she eventually finished fifth, with gold won by Manuela Schaer of Switzerland.

[22][23] Bayekula was among the Belgian Olympic and Paralympic medallists honoured at the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting at the King Baudouin Stadium after the Paris Games.

[24] She practiced contemporary dance since the age of 17, modeled and dreamed of becoming an actress[4] She was an ambassador of Unrun (42/54), the Belgian activewear label founded by Belgium's 2024 Summer Olympic Games gold medal winners Elodie Ouedraogo and Olivia Borlée.

(Ten inspiring stories of professional athletes facing discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation and disability)[27] and "Paralympique".

[28] Her idol and role model, and good friend, is Belgium's 400 metres runner Cynthia Bolingo who she first met in the bath rooms at one of her first competitions in 2016.