PARA-CANOEIST Susan Seipel has done what most athletes dream of doing, appearing at the pinnacle of sports the Paralympics. In fact, Seipel has done it three times taking a medal at each, a silver at Tokyo 2020 and a bronze medal at both the Rio Games in 2016 and the most recent Paris Games this year. Following the Tokyo Games, Seipel became the first Australian to medal in a debut discipline at consecutive Games.
The 38-year-old told Local Ipswich News the Paris Games were the best she had been to and she was proud of her achievement.
“They were very well organised, and the village was really good,” she said. “The course was great, and to have crowds back again was nice.
“It was my goal to get a medal of any colour, I was very happy with bronze.
“I knew it was going to be a close race in terms of getting a medal or coming fourth.“I still cannot believe I’ve gone to three Games and got a medal at every game.
“That’s what dreams are made of.”
At the Paris Games, Seipel won her semi-final in 1:02.17 and in the final cut her time down to 1:01.39 but it was not enough with Great Britain’s Emma Wiggs taking gold in sub-minute time (58.88).
“I mean she’s (Wiggs) a legend of the sport, she’s won so many races now,” Seipel said.
I knew she would be the one to beat as well as the Canadian, it’s kind of been us three on the podium for the last few competitions. I didn’t do so well in my heat – I had a few issues with my blade and my paddle catching the wind when I was doing changes. I was probably a bit too pumped up for my heat, a bit too excited and I need to calm myself down. I needed to do what I do in training and produce a good race, which I was able to do in the semi and the final.
I appreciated that the wind kind of went to a cross, which I think kind of benefits my style of paddling with changes rather than staying on the one side as some of the others do.”
Seipel said that she would not be taking the possibility of a fourth Games competition off the table, but that she would be taking a break from the sport for now with the season commencing in the summer and the sports selection tournament held in March.
“I probably won’t get back into paddling until next year. I’ll just have to assess where I’m at, the benefit is that I’ve done both boats for a very long time. I am intrigued a little bit to find out whether if I focus on one boat, I can improve that boat.
So, there’s still potential there – never say never.”
