Looking forward to Rio, what are you most excited for? You’ve already won a gold!

"The emotions I have going into Rio are very different than London. Six months ago, I think I was still nervous and questioning whether I would be able to pull this off. I think my coach and loved ones all knew I could, but you know, you’re your own worst critic. I was very nervous about that.

"For me, this is about truly being able to just enjoy the experience. I’ve been to the games once, I’ve won a Paralympic gold medal, a bronze medal. I’ve kind of done what I need to do to prove myself on an international stage. Although I’m an athlete at heart and I still have goals and ambitions for what I would like to achieve, there’s also a side of me as just an individual who wants to just go and enjoy the experience and know that, at this point as an athlete, there’s really nothing left to prove."

So, you’re also getting married in December — congratulations! What is it like trying to prep for Rio and plan a wedding? Do you ever use one to get out of some unpleasant things about preparing for the other?

"You know, it’s funny! We ended up hiring a wedding planner. My fiancé is a smart man, and he talked me into [it]. I was very, ‘We’ve got it on our own, I love to plan!’ So we do have a little help.

"It’s a lot, but it’s fun! Obviously, as focused as I am on Rio, it is good to have something other than Rio all the time, because if you hyper-focus too much, that also can be your demise. We’re kind of enjoying the distraction, but I am actually at the point where I have to decide on the wedding dress. And I’ve been looking. I’ve been saying I’m going to decide for three months, but with trials coming around, I’m like, ‘I can’t make any decisions right now, I’ll do it after trials!’ And now [that] trials are over, I really need to decide.

"The best part of it is knowing that no matter what happens in Rio, I’m at the point in my life where, when I return home, whether I have one medal, five medals, whatever I have in tow, I’m also coming home to a life that continues on past 'being an athlete.' That actually makes the athletic career a little less scary, because it’s not the be-all-end-all of who I am as a person."

Do you have any advice for people who may see you as an inspirational figure?

"I think that the biggest thing I’ve realised in my own journey is, you’re stronger than you realise. And I say that because there’s so many people that will tell me, ‘I don’t know how you do it.’ Or, ‘If that happened to me, I wouldn’t be able to do it.’

"I kind of challenge people to think otherwise. Because I truly do think that we are all stronger than we realise. And unfortunately, it’s not until we face those adversities in our lives that we’re forced to recognise those strengths. Don’t discredit yourself and what you’re capable of. Don’t discredit your strength, and your courage, and your ability to overcome, because I think we all have those capabilities. They’re just tapped into [at] different points in our lives."

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