Daphne Schrager's story is truly spectacular. So are the stories of all the athletes taking part in these Paralympic Games, which start in Paris on Wednesday 28 August. Her perseverance and dedication are inspiring. This week she will be competing in the C1-3 pursuit at the Paris Paralympics, in the city where she won the world title in the C3 pursuit last year.

She shared her thoughts ahead of what could be a historic event in a recent interview with the BBC. "Sport has made me feel like I can do anything," she said, and indeed it has.

Daphne Schrager will be competing as a member of the British track cycling team. At 22, she already knows what it means to triumph on a bike. Something she barely knew when she first took up the sport.

Daphne Schrager had never ridden a bike five years ago, but she used the pandemic as an opportunity to improve in a discipline she discovered almost by accident. Daphne has cerebral palsy. It affects her movement and coordination. Her life went through many stages before she found cycling. She was just 17 when she took part in an event without really knowing what to expect.

"I went to an open day and someone suggested I try cycling and I thought, 'I don't cycle, this is going to be fun'," she told the BBC.

"I didn't feel comfortable. I don't know how they managed to keep me going. Daphne Schrager recalls, "They just kept me going. It was the beginning of what was to be another triumph in her short sporting career.

The European and World titles came later. Like so many Paralympians, Daphne Schrager is battling her own disability. She has uncontrollable tremors. "They can last from half an hour to two hours," explains the paracyclist, who has to live with the extra workload. She has always been able to overcome them. 

This is what makes her special. She is like so many athletes who find in sport a tool to improve their personal lives. "Para sport is a great outlet for me; I can't imagine doing anything else now. It's a childhood dream. It's absolutely crazy to be able to ride a bike and wear the Great Britain jersey," she adds in the interview.

Daphne Schrager won two events in the first UCI Road World Cup. Her talent began to grow. She is now one of the most important cyclists of the moment. She fights her disability and tries to control it. It is clear that she has had her share of challenges and triumphs in life.

 For example, when her disability has played tricks on her with these tremors that she has to control as best she can. She has fallen off her bike on occasion, but her message is inspiring. "I encourage everyone to fight; to believe in yourself and work hard with a smile and the results will come," she told the Women's Sport Alliance last year. Her achievements earned her a place at the Paralympic Games, where she will make her debut this week.