Anna Grimaldi celebrates winning the 200m. Photo: AFP PHOTO /OIS/IOC/ADRIAN DENNIS
A Dunedin Paralympian says it will take some time to properly sink in that she just won her third gold medal.
New Zealand is coming away with a total of nine medals, after canoeist Peter Cowan won the last one of the games on Sunday evening - taking bronze in the men's 200m.
"To win a bronze medal at the Paralympics is obviously something big and special. The preparation building up to this was probably one of the hardest I've had to prepare for."
Cowan said it was "pretty challenging" both on and off the water.
Canoeist Peter Cowan. Photo: Getty Images / Fiona Goodall
Meanwhile, Anna Grimaldi won gold in the T47 200-metre final at the Paralympics in Paris on Sunday morning.
It was Grimaldi's second medal of the Games after she took the bronze in the 100 metres.
She has previously won gold in Rio and Tokyo for her main event - the long jump.
"It will take some time to sink in but even looking back on the other two, from Rio and Tokyo, I'm not sure they ever sink in properly," Grimaldi told First Up.
"It's such a surreal life experience, even just being at a Paralympic Games, let alone winning one or two and now three, it's ridiculous. I couldn't have written this."
Winning the gold in the running event was something she never believed would have been possible.
"You couldn't have told me that if I was to win a gold medal here it would be for the 200, I wouldn't have believed you.
"It was maybe feasible to me that I could potentially win the long jump but then obviously that didn't quite go to plan, and I guess it's just so cool to find your feet in an event and come to fruition on the big stage."
Grimaldi said she realised she was in with a good chance when she was leading in the last bend.
But having not run properly in recent years, "I can't quite put into words how it feels".
Grimaldi said she had never received so many messages of support and love.
Anna Grimaldi. Photo: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/via AFP
The Paralympics had changed her life - and she hopes it was changing to lives of others back home.
Former coach Brent Ward told Morning Report Grimaldi was a champ in the way she handled an injury that prevented her from running and "all the ups and downs".
He said it had been a "stunning ride" and she had a lot ahead of her.
"She's just on top of the world and it's great to see."
Grimaldi said she was looking forward to spending more time in Paris in the coming days as she had not had a chance to explore yet.
After that, she would be spending the next couple of months on holiday, travelling around Europe.
