Drive and determination have steered Stephanie McDougall as an athlete and in 2008 took her to the Beijing Paralympics, which has been her goal since even before she began to swim seriously.
"I have always had a dream of going to the Paralympics ever since I was really young," Stephanie said. "I think I wanted to go even before I became involved in swimming."
This young Maple Ridge girl's dreams aren’t hampered by spina bifida and hydrocephalus, a physical condition that doesn't slow her down in the pool or out of the pool.
Stephanie went to Riverside and Harry Hooge Elementary School before going to Garibaldi where she graduated from in 2006.
Before she began swimming, Stephanie was riding with the Maple Ridge Pacific Riding for the Disabled—currently the North Fraser Therapeutic Riding Association—under coach Tilly Muller, winning a first-place trophy when she was still under ten years old.
But swimming was the sport that was to dominate her life and Stephanie has now been with the Haney Seahorses for 11 years.
Stephanie first went to the Canada Games in 2001 when she was only 13 years old—and she was back in 2005 and brought home a bronze in the 100-metre breaststroke.
Travelling to Europe for various swimming competitions has been a high point in her athletic endeavours, and Stephanie said each meet brought her one step closer to her ultimate goal of getting to the Paralympics.
In 2007, Stephanie needed major surgery three months before the ParaPanAm Trials and therefore missed out—but she knew the next thing would be Beijing.
It was only seven seconds that kept Stephanie McDougall from getting to the 2004 Athens Paralympics, but that seven seconds gave her the determination to make it to Beijing in 2008.
"I wanted to do it so badly," she said.
Stephanie had a rigorous training schedule before going to Beijing, assisted by her coach Reg Shaw.
"You have to keep going no matter how hard it gets," Stephanie said. Believing in herself and keeping a positive attitude have paid off: Stephanie placed eighth in Beijing and has already set her sights on London 2012.