On March 4, the Winter Paralympic Games officially opened, and Lisa Boonschoten and her boyfriend Chris Voss entered the stadium with her dutch flag.
On the official website of the Olympic Games, Boonsauten was listed as one of the top athletes to watch at the Winter Paralympic Games. She won one silver and one gold at the PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games in 2018. Off the field, she and her teammates started a company called Adaptive Board Chicks, which aims to encourage more women to participate in snowboarding for people with disabilities.
Born with a slightly shorter left leg than his right leg, Boonschoten made up his mind at the age of 16 to amputate his left foot, and has since returned to snowboarding. Recently, Buenschoten was interviewed by the Beijing News "Earth Wire". Looking back on the decision to amputate that year, she did not regret it. She also hopes that her skiing experience will allow more women with disabilities to see the possibility of snowboarding.
On March 9, the Beijing News "Earth Wired" interviewed Lisa Boonschoten. Produced by the Beijing News
Winter Paralympic Games: Roller coaster-like mood, enjoy skiing, fun
Beijing News: What is your impression of the Winter Paralympic Village? Lisa Buenschoten: The venue for the game was good and I was very satisfied. Everything was available in the Paralympic Village, the rooms were nice and the volunteers were friendly and helped us all the time and gave us Chinese lessons.
I loved it here. Now the weather is very warm, we will go out for walks after training, and also play with the VR (virtual reality) equipment in the Winter Paralympic Village.
Lisa Buensauten. Figure/IC photo
Beijing News: You are the Dutch flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympic Games. Can you share your feelings?
Lisa Buenschoten: The privilege of being invited to be the Dutch standard-bearer is very special to me. The moment you walk into the venue, it's an unparalleled feeling. Beijing News: Are you satisfied with the results of the current competition at the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games? Lisa Buenschoten: I felt good about the skiing competition. On skis, I felt strong and made it to the finals. But in the finals, I had a serious physical collision with another girl, and we didn't make it to the finish line. Finishing fourth and missing out on the podium was certainly not the result I wanted. But I'm happy with the snowboarding skills I showed in the competition.
On March 9, a reporter from the Beijing News contacted Lisa Buensauten. Photo/ Screenshot of the EarthWire video
Beijing News: If you used three words to describe this trip to the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, which three would you choose?
Lisa Buenschoten: "Roller coaster", enjoy skiing and have fun. The "roller coaster" was due to a collision during the race, so my mood fluctuated a bit. Beijing News: Is this your first time in China? How was the experience? Lisa Boonsauten: Yes, this is my first time in China. We can't leave the closed loop and experience China outside of the Winter Paralympic Games, which is a bit sad. But everyone here is very friendly and helpful. My first impression of China is good.
"Snowboarding for everyone"
Beijing News: How did you start snowboarding?
Lisa Buensauten: All along, we wanted to go on holiday as a family and do snow sports together. But my legs couldn't fit into the ski boots, and my family suggested I try snowboarding because the snowboarding boots were softer and easier to wear. That's why I started trying snowboarding and fell in love with the sport.
The first time I snowboarded, I also wrestled, it was not easy to learn, but from the beginning I was very passionate about snowboarding and especially wanted to learn well.
Lisa Buensauten. Photo: International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
Beijing News: Why do you love snowboarding?
Lisa Buensauten: When I was snowboarding, I was in nature, doing what I loved, and feeling very free. At the same time, I also like to compete, because I feel that I am constantly breaking through myself and giving my all. In the snowboard competition, I saw the best of myself. Beijing News: At the age of 16, you decided to amputate your left foot, which is not a simple decision. What do you think of your decision now? Lisa Buenschoten: I also think it's a good option now.
When I was 6 years old, I had surgery to elongate my left leg, and at the age of 16 we had planned to stretch it again. But another doctor I met at that time suggested that I have my left foot amputated directly, and I was very hesitant at first. But after talking to many people in the same situation, I found that they were more free to move after amputation, so I made up my mind to amputate my left foot as soon as possible.
Beijing News: In the snowboard journey, what do you think is the biggest challenge you encounter? Lisa Buenschoten: On this journey, there was a lot of training, a lot of days away from home, a lot of hard work and a lot of hard work, which was a great challenge in itself, but during this time I was able to travel around the places and had many interesting experiences.
Second, I think for a lot of people, denial from the outside is a big challenge. You have to believe in yourself, choose the people around you, choose those who believe in you, and I think that's the most important factor to be successful.
Beijing News: You also founded Adaptive Board Chick with your teammates to let more women participate in the snowboarding of the disabled. Lisa Buensauten: Yeah, I think everyone can snowboard, and so can women with disabilities. But the obstacles they encounter in participating may be more. I want them to see me too, knowing that there are women with disabilities doing snowboarding and that we can support each other. As long as we can participate in snowboarding together, it is the most important part of snowboarding. Beijing News: What message do you want to convey to readers? Lisa Boonschoten: If you love something deeply, do it and believe in yourself.
Beijing News reporter Hou Wuting Yao Yuan
Edited by Chen Jing, proofread by Wu Xingfa