Teenager's Paralympic dream comes true earlier than expected

Linn Kazmaier remembers the day she fell in love with winter sports as if it were yesterday.

"I couldn't stop talking on the way back (from her first skiing trip) for over two and a half hours. I told my parents all the time how terrific biathlon and cross-country skiing is," said Germany's youngest athlete competing at the Beijing Winter Paralympics in Beijing.

"I was thrilled by sports from the first moment on," the 15-year-old said after winning a silver medal in the para biathlon women's vision-impaired sprint on Saturday.

Just six years ago, her parents took their 9-year-old daughter to a winter sports workshop in the Black Forest in southwestern Germany, and that's where it all began.

Her desire to succeed since that trip to the mountains has never abated. She headed to a winter sports academy near Freiburg to train and coaches soon discovered her talent.

For Kazmaier, her medal at the 2022 Games in China somehow came as a surprise. "I didn't expect that now; I thought about a medal when I am around 20 or so," she said.

Donning her sunglasses, she competes and trains with her trustworthy personal guide, 20-year-old Florian Baumann, who gives her the directions she needs on the course.

Kazmaier revealed her mother was an important influence on her career early on. "My mother told me about my impatience, as I always told her to focus on the right direction," she added with a smile on her face.

Kazmaier has grown into a determined athlete knowing exactly what she wants. "She is one of the greatest talents in her sports," said Friedhelm Julius Beucher, president of the German Disabled Sports Association.

Over the years, Kazmaier has developed a strict pre-race routine－listening to inspiring and cheerful songs to stay calm.

She said it makes her feel relaxed and stops her thinking about the expectations on her young shoulders.

Kazmaier will compete in four more events at the 2022 Paralympics.

Xinhua