Dutch snowboarder Bibian Mentel-Spee's Winter Paralympic gold came against the odds.
The 45-year-old claimed victory in the snowboard-cross in Pyeongchang on Monday, less than a year after being diagnosed with cancer for the ninth time.
Last July, Mentel-Spee was diagnosed with cancer in her neck, oesophagus and ribs, before enduring nine months of treatment and two operations to repair damage in her spine.
"By the time I was back in recovery and training it turned out my vertebrae was collapsing because of the cancer and the radiation."
"They told me if they don't perform surgery I'll be paralysed because I'll break my neck. The bad thing about that is I'd probably still be breathing."
Bibian Mentel-Spee competes during the Women's Para Snowboard Cross Standing. Photo / Getty
Mentel-Spee had her last operation in January, and despite being left with a mere three weeks for training, she was victorious in the all-Dutch final.
"I've been snowboarding for about three weeks now. That was the first time in 10 months. I've got a lot of mileage in me that's for sure," said Mentel-Spee.
"It's so amazing that I grabbed gold."
"I had all the more reason to stay on the couch with all that has been happening in the last couple of years, but the best way I could treat my body and recover from all the surgeries and radiation and the cancer is to be as fit as possible ... which I do by playing sports."
Mentel-Spee nearly became an Olympian in 2002, after she set her sights on the Salt Lake City Olympic Games.
But her Olympic dream came to a sad end after doctors found a tumour in her ankle that lead to her leg being amputated from below the knee.
However, defying all the odds, Mentel-Spee was back on a snowboard in four months as she campaigned for the snow sport to be included in the Paralympic Winter Games.
In 2014, snowboard-cross made its debut in the Sochi Games were Mentel-Spee became the first woman to claim Paralympic gold.
