My Paris Paralympic campaign was going to plan until I tested positive to Covid after the opening ceremony.

Covid:

I hadn’t had Covid before so I was not sure how my body would cope. Luckily my event was at the end of the games so I had five days to recover before racing. Paralympics Australia medical team were excellent and I received treatment right away. My main concern was to not spread the disease so I stayed away from my teammates and wore a mask. These measures worked as no one else on my team got sick. I had flu like symptoms the first few days and bad joint pain. I
tested negative after three days and was medically cleared to compete.

Competition:

My first race was the Outrigger Canoe (Va) heat and it was a hot mess. I think I was more nervous than usual because I wasn’t sure how my body would feel going full throttle after having Covid, so I was pushing too hard, I fumbled every changeover, and had too much lactic acid buildup in my arms. It was the worst race I had ever done! But I had made it into the semi-final and I was grateful to have more races to sort myself out. After the race I analysed with my coach what had gone wrong in the race and we realised I needed to relax and stick to my race plan. I had to trust that Covid hadn’t changed the years of training I had done and I needed to do a race with no mistakes.

The next day, I was back to my usual self for the semi-final, feeling the nerves that are unavoidable for such an occasion but also enjoying the moment. I was focused and smiling as I usually do at the cheering crowd. I led the semi-final race from the start and won. The final was later that day so it was a quick turnaround. Honestly, my memory of the final is a bit of a blur, I didn’t know the result until I crossed the finished line. I remember the absolute relief and joy when I saw I had won the bronze medal and then having a hug on the water with my fellow competitor from Italy. After the race the medallist boats were weighed while the athletes did media, then we quickly got changed into tracksuits for the medal ceremony. Again, this part is a bit of a blur as you realise you have achieved your dreams and feel like all your hard work has paid off. During the medal ceremony I remember holding back tears while watching our flags being raised and feeling so proud.

The next day I had two races in the kayak, I won my semi-final heat in really windy conditions and placed 5th in the final. That night was the closing ceremony and then back at the village we partied all night long. It was such an amazing games to be a part of and I am so thankful to my team and everyone who supported me. Thank you so much for following my journey!

You can read Reflections on the Paris Paralympics Part 1 here: https://www.invacare.co.nz/support/news/reflections-paris-paralympics-pa...–-susan-seipel

About the Author:

Susan Seipel is a diverse para-athlete with a background in swimming, and equestrian, and is a triple World Champion in the sport of Paracanoe.

She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and was the first Australian in history to win a medal in Paracanoe at the Paralympic level. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Susan won a silver medal in the inaugural women’s canoe event. She is currently training for Paris 2024.

Outside of sports, Susan is a proud ambassador for RSPCA Queensland and is passionate about animal welfare. She is also studying Psychology at university.

http://www.susanseipel.com