Forster fostering next gen of champs

When she's not chasing her own Paralympic dreams, Anna-Lena Forster helps kids to follow their sporting ambitions.

Despite training throughout the year, the 26-year-old German mono-skier also finds time to focus on educating youngsters via her website, which encourages children to explore new boundaries and gain confidence.

"I am very busy with training and my job, but I always have time to encourage youngsters to do sport," Forster said.

She hopes her gold medal in the super combined sitting event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics will inspire kids to follow in her ski tracks.

Her winter sports odyssey began as a 9-year-old when her parents took her to workshops for beginner skiers.

"I attended several of these training sessions and gradually got into it. I didn't fall in love with skiing at first, but things change," said the Paralympic champion.

After two years on the slopes, her talent was spotted by German coaches. "They came and asked me if I was interested in joining the national talent youth team," she said after winning her third medal at Beijing 2022.

Initially, she didn't see the sport as a path to success, instead simply enjoying the experience and the positivity it brought. In Forster's view, sport serves as an intermediary to help people grow and gain confidence.

From an early age, sport played a vital role in her life and she managed to balance school and skiing.

"I got free time from school for training and competition, as long as I followed the school subjects closely."

As well as skiing, she also enjoys climbing, trampolining, swimming and basketball.

Forster won two golds－in slalom sitting and super combined sitting－at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, but said victory in Beijing was extra special.

"I will never forget about my first gold in 2018, but this one today means so much for me. It's one of the most important medals of my career," said Forster, who was so overjoyed when she crossed the line for victory that she briefly forgot where her wheelchair was.

She revealed that pre-race chats with the German team's sports psychologists helped her stay calm and concentrated. "They told me to read the track and keep its challenging parts in mind. I managed to forget about the setbacks in previous competitions," said Forster.

Now with super combined gold and two silver medals (from downhill and super-G) under her belt, she is looking to her remaining events with renewed confidence.

Xinhua