Stephenville Paralympic medal hopeful suits up

A medal hopeful from western Newfoundland is gearing up for competition at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Katarina Roxon, an arm amputee who will be swimming in six events, is competing in her second Paralympics after travelling to Beijing four years ago.

"A medal would be amazing. I would bawl over that — I would cry, I would be so excited," she said by the pool in Stephenville where she working on her stroke technique. "But definitely, definitely, I want to make the finals in all my events."

Roxon will be swimming in the 50, 100 and 400 freestyle, the 100 breast stroke, the 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley.

"It is absolutely fantastic," said Leonard Roxon, Katarina's father and coach.

"I don't think there is a single word you can describe the emotions that you go through." he added. "You're proud, you're happy, you're thrilled for her, you're excited [and] you're also nervous."

He said those feelings have intensified because Katarina is now a medal hopeful. She won a gold medal in the women’s 100 butterfly at trials in Montreal earlier this year.

"It's kind of a mind freak at first," said Katarina.

"Knowing that you are going up against the fastest people in the world, but then you have to think about that you are one of the fastest people to be going up against the fastest people in the world." 

Katarina is travelling to Italy for some more practice before heading to London later this month.

"All I've been doing is swimming, eating and training," she said.