Sutherland para-athlete Hope Gordon says: 'It's been a quick, short, crazy journey', as she prepares to compete in Wednesday's Nordic ski race at Winter Games
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By Will Jennings in Beijing
HOPE GORDON says swapping paddling for ski poles can propel her all the way to the Paralympic podium.
Versatile Gordon, from Rogart, joined forces with Britain’s Nordic skiing squad last year just one month after grabbing two medals at the Para Canoe Sprint World Championships.
And just six months later her place at Beijing 2022 is secure, forming part of a five-strong Nordic skiing team alongside Scott Meenagh, Callum Deboys, Steve Thomas and Steve Arnold.
Gordon admits the gruelling world of Nordic skiing proved love at first sight and she can’t wait to strut her stuff in challenging Zhangjiakou conditions this week.
The 27-year-old, who competes in her cross-country event on Wednesday, said: "The first time I tried skiing I fell over three times, had one crash and broke a ski, but it was amazing.
"I've always found a lot of freedom in water, which is why I've loved swimming and canoeing.
“Sometimes it's quite restrictive to get around on land when you have to use mobility aids to get from A to B. With skiing, it was another big sense of freedom.
"And snow is actually all right to fall on. You just kind of bounce and get back up again."
After being diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) - also known as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) – at the age of 12, Gordon was forced to have her left leg amputated above the knee in 2016 in order to be free of pain.
But her rock-sold upper body physique makes her a perfect fit for the painstaking world of Nordic skiing, which consists of biathlon and cross-country events and sees athletes race over a wide-ranging series of distances.
It’s been far from a plain sailing journey for Gordon, however, who added: "I didn't know much about the sport until my first day on snow.
"It was not until I had to start climbing up hills that I realised hills were actually a part of the sport. That was a bit of a shock to the system.
"It has been a very quick, short, crazy journey and I never thought I'd be at a Winter Games at this point in my skiing journey.
"I've been quite chill about the whole thing - I just thought it would be a bit of fun - and I've tried to take everything as it comes, but I never thought I'd end up being here."
Gordon is relishing a crack at the Winter Games but isn’t afraid of dreaming big with the Summer Games of Paris 2024 firmly on the horizon.
She hopes sparkling on the big stage can equip her with the tools she needs to thrive and lay the foundations for a thrilling journey to France in two years’ time.
"So far I've had eight weeks on snow, so there's only so much you can achieve within that time frame," added Gordon, one of over 1,000 athletes are able to train full-time, access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering technology, science and medical support thanks to vital National Lottery funding.
"Even being here is more than I thought possible to achieve within that time. I just want to complete my event as well as I can and try to soak it all in and enjoy it.
"That is going to make me a better athlete for, hopefully, future Paralympics."
No one does more to support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes than National Lottery players, who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes including grassroots and elite sport. Discover the positive impact playing the National Lottery has at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and get involved by using the hashtag: #TNLAthletes
