Australian snowboarder Joany Badenhorst is super keen to compete at a third Winter Paralympics despite both her PyeongChang and Sochi campaigns ending in disaster.
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Twice now Badenhorst has arrived in the Athletes Village with high hopes of a medal only to be denied the chance of competing after severely injuring herself in training crashes on the Paralympic course.
"Third time lucky maybe," she said, as she arrived home with the 15-member Australian team after 10 days of competition in South Korea.
"Not at all spooked. The type of accident can happen in training or competition ... anywhere," she added.
"It was at the Games but it could have happened at any World Cup meet.
"It won't put me off. Snow sports are pretty tough so these things do happen.
"It's not going to shape the way I go into competition at all. It's just going to shape the way I do my recovery and help me to re-focus on what I want to do next."
The next Winter Paralympics are in Beijing, March 4-13 in 2022.
Weary athletes and staff arrived back in Sydney today from South Korea, to be met with green and gold balloons, banners and signs and gift packs including jars of Vegemite from family and friends.
Badenhorst carried the Australian flag at the Opening Ceremony on March 9 and then two days later crashed heavily in snowboard training, dislocating her left kneecap and tearing ligaments. Her left leg is amputated below the knee after a farming accident in 2005. She hurt the same knee in the same way in Russia four years ago.
But Badenhorst was in the Jeongseon Alpine Centre stands every day last week cheering on the three other Para-snowboarders and eight Para-alpine skiers.
Despite missing out on Badenhorst's expected two medals in cross and banked slalom - she is ranked in the world top-three for both - the Australian team managed four medals in PyeongChang (one gold and three bronze) to snowboarder Simon Patmore and vision-impaired skier Mel Perrine.
It was the best medal haul since the seven won at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
"This team showed yet again that Australia's Paralympic athletes are extraordinary athletes and have made us so proud again," Australian Paralympic Committee CEO Lynne Anderson said.
"The last 10 days have been humbling and exciting and energising at the same time.
"We started with a gut-wrenching accident to Joany but it was a credit to her that she lifted herself and put all her focus into the team because that one hurt us all. I think the team lifted because she lifted.
"As the APC we are just very blessed to have these sorts of people with us."
Australian Associated Press
