When we talk of para athletes, the Winter Paralympics does not come much to our attention. Yes, while we do have Paralympics in the summer, there is a winter version too. That is what makes it all the more exciting.?
When it comes to the winter version, one name stands out above all else. Who are we talking of? None other than Ragnhild Myklebust, the skier from Norway who set the bar really high.?
She battled polio from an early age and yet went on to achieve great things in the sport of skiing. Hailing from Norway, what makes Ragnhild's achievements all the more special is the fact that she started competing in the Winter Paralympics only after entering her 40s. Proof that age can be just a number.?
Speaking of numbers, they really do stack up in her favour. After all, they show just how good and consistent she has been on the big stage. It truly is something amazing and the fact that she fought polio to do what she did, shows the strength of her resolve.?
Between 1988 and 2002, she won a whopping 27 medals at the Winter Paralympics. 22 of them were gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze. That is the most number of medals any para athlete has won in the history of the Winter Paralympics. Now that is something to be proud of.?
Her legacy is a benchmark for other para athletes that nothing is impossible. People like her show that were there is a will, there is a way. Her efforts brought glory to Norway on the international stage and she showed one is never too old or never too disabled to follow one's dream.?
Ragnhild is a legend and an icon. A fighter to the core, she won her battles in her sport and in life as well. ?