Winnipeg's Taryn Grant wins gold at water-ski worlds
A Winnipeg athlete has overcome incredible odds to bring home a gold medal at the world water-ski championships in Spain.
Taryn Grant, 20, won gold in the women's slalom competition at the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation's World Under-21 Water Ski Championships in Sesesña, Spain, on July 3-5.
She also won silver in the women's jump competition.
"It's a dream come true. I've wanted this for quite some time now, and I'm so excited that now I have the title of a world championship," she told CBC News on Tuesday.
Grant has been competing since she was six years old, but she suffered a serious neck injury in 2010, forcing her to wear a body brace for months.
She said she went through months of rehabilitation and never gave up.
Just being able to compete in the championships was a dream come true, Grant said.
"It was exciting. At U21 Worlds, we're all around the same age and we've grown up going to tournaments together, so we all know each other and it's a real fun environment," she said.
At the 2013 U21 worlds, Grant brought home a silver and bronze medal in the jump and slalom categories, respectively, according to Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada.
