As he sits in home quarantine, Jonathan Goerlach finally gets the chance to reflect on his life-changing two months.
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The decade-long journey to the Paralympic Games - featuring plenty of highs and lows - had finally been realised for the Nowra product, who has been diagnosed with usher syndrome type II.
Not only did he achieve that long-term goal but he, and guide David Mainwaring, produced the strong time of 1:06:18 to finish eighth in the men's PTVI triathlon.
"I've been thinking about the race a bit the past few days, as I didn't reflect too much at the start and tried to enjoy the Paralympic experience for what it was," Goerlach, who hadn't race on the international scene since March 2020 and with new guide Mainwaring at that level at all, said.
"They say, as soon as you attend a Games, you become a Paralympian but I feel that's not the case until you actually compete, which in my eyes, was the main goal for me in Tokyo - which I did and I'm super proud of.
"Obviously, I would have liked to have finished higher than I did but as is the closeness of the competition, any 10 of the guys that lined up in the race could have finished on the podium.
"On this occasion, it wasn't my turn but I do take heart from the fact I've beaten two of those three guys on the podium over the past few years.
"It just came down to who prepared the best and performed, in those hot conditions, on the day - I can't take anything away from any of the medalists on the day.
"Considering all the challenges I've faced over the past four to six months, many of which weren't ideal but I took in my stride, I'm extremely happy with the result and to achieve this long-term goal of mine.
"Hopefully I get another chance in the future to show exactly what I'm capable of."
As such as the Bomaderry High School alumnus revelled on race day, he also thoroughly enjoyed the whole Paralympic experience, from the Australian team's unique opening ceremony to the athlete's village and everything in between.
"Even though I sort of felt I'd already been to a Games previously because I'd been around Australia's high-performance squad for close to a decade and heard plenty of Paralympic stories, nothing can fully prepare you for it," said Goerlach, who admits there was so much that went on behind the scenes to just get him to the start line.
"The pure volume of people involved and the intensity around the Games was just incredible and something I'd not yet experienced.
"But full credit to Paralympics Australia for setting up a COVID-safe environment where we could all relax and enjoy the experience together, stay hydrated, eat well and prepare for our events as best as possible.
"Due to the strict protocols, us Australian athletes were always around the village, which I found great, allowing us to hang-out, play games such as table tennis and watch other athletes compete on the television, which was quite special and something you might not get at a normal Games.
"That camaraderie really stemmed from our unique opening ceremony experience, where athletes read speeches and sung the national anthem before sending off our team captains Ryley Batt and Danni di Toro on the bus to the Olympic Stadium.
"I really soaked it up because I probably wouldn't have attended a regular opening ceremony, as standing on my feet for hours on end, just days before competing, wouldn't be ideal preparation.
"Obviously there are parts that we missed out on though, like having friends and family around the village with us or the chance to experience the culture by going into Tokyo itself - I didn't even get the chance to eat sushi over there.
"That's the world we live in right now though and everyone involved deserves a lot of credit for getting the amazing Games off the ground."
After leaving the Japanese capital, Goerlach was one of close to 20 Paralympic athletes offered home quarantine instead of hotel, due to his vision and hearing impaired disabilities.
"The Australian Paralympic team left this country with permission - it was a privilege and not a right that we went to the Games in Tokyo and it remains a privilege that we return to this nation when many Australians cannot," Goerlach said.
"Even though I'm nearing the end of the first week, it's flown by, to be honest, with me still being able to train with a treadmill, bike and some weights here - more to help my mental state than anything.
"As well as that, phone calls, other Paralympic interviews, emails and watching sport have been keeping me busy in here.
"As many positives as there not being in a hotel room, I still have to cook my own meals all the time, so those three meals provided each day would be nice, especially as I had grown accustomed to food being prepared for me during my time in Tokyo."
When he does exit home quarantine later this month, the 38-year-old admits he will take some time to rest the body before gearing up for a big 2022 campaign, headlined by Birmingham's Commonwealth Games.
"We're nearly at the point where we need to start preparing for our next goal, which will be in Birmingham next July," he said.
"Fortunately for my guide and I, we found out about a year ago, my vision impaired category was included on the schedule - which is amazing considering how many sports and disability divisions there are and it was definitely not something I thought I'd have the opportunity to do.
"After some downtime, my team will develop a plan for the next 10 months, to ensure we are prepared as best we can for the Commonwealth Games - which will more than likely involved some training camps and international races in Europe, which is something I missed out on leading into Tokyo.
"Following that, it'll only be another two years to Paris' Paralympic Games but we're not getting too far ahead of ourselves and are going to take each year as it comes, primarily because of the competition I'm coming up against is getting stronger and bigger all the time.
"With most likely only 10 athletes being able to qualify, it's going to be cut-throat for 2024 and there are no guarantees but we will continue to improve the best we can to give us the best shot of achieving that goal."
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