Paralympic swimmer Katarina Roxon keeps positive vibes flowing on her way to Rio

Paralympic swimmer Katarina Roxon has plenty to smile about as she prepares for her third trip to the Paralympic Games.

And that's a very good thing.

"I'm feeling really good. I'm not stressed out or anything. I'm trying to take this game with a happier approach," Roxon, 23, told CBC Radio's The Corner Brook Morning Show.

"I realized over the past few years that if I'm swimming and I'm feeling happy and I'm feeling excited about it, I swim a lot better than when I'm stressed out," she said.

"I think being a positive person, sending out good vibes, is great. To have that on the team is really important in bringing everyone's spirits up."

Roxon, who is from Kippens, is currently at training camps in Toronto preparing for her visit to Rio de Janeiro. In addition to a good attitude, Roxon said she is working on perfecting her technique, including making her turns faster.

"All the tiny details are really important and critical at this point in time heading into Brazil ... You want to make sure every stroke you take, every turn you take, every dive you make, everything counts, everything is all quality work," she said.

Role model

Roxon is a veteran swimmer. At 15, she was the youngest Canadian swimmer on the Beijing 2008 Paralympic team and last year she had one of her best seasons — collecting six medals, including gold in the 100m breaststroke at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games.

Because of her early start, Roxon is relishing the chance to be a role model for her younger teammates. 

"I'm actually looking forward to being one of the oldest veteran women on this team. I remember when I was 12 years old and I was the youngest person on the team ... and I was scared. I didn't know what to expect, it was a new experience. And right now I'm kind of enjoying being the veteran woman on the team and helping the younger ones as a guide," she said.

"I get the feeling of being the older sister where the younger girls on the team look up to me. I just need to make a good example for them and make sure I'm doing everything right. It's a little bit more pressure but actually I don't mind it. It's a nice feeling to have."