In 1960, a little girl named Andrea McDonnell was born in Townsville, Australia. While the northwestern state of Queensland is not known as one of the world's table tennis hubs, McDonnell was blessed with parents who loved to play. She took to it naturally, competing on the national junior circuit. As an adult, however, McDonnell's paddle was gradually pushed aside by grown-up responsibilities as she studied to become a financial analyst. Then, one day, fate intervened, a habit to which it is notoriously predisposed. At 39, a workplace accident left her physically impaired, the movement of her joints severely restricted. As she adjusted to her new reality, her old paddle began once again to beckon. A meeting with the national Para team coaches sealed the deal. "Once I attended my first Para tournament... and met the team and coaches, I was hooked and couldn’t wait to be classified so I could join the team," recalls McDonnell. Although a natural athlete with table tennis in her DNA, the transition to Para competition was not an easy one. After 14 years of training, she finally made the national Para team in 2013. Competing in Class 10, she has since racked up six national titles and a most impressive nine international medals. McDonnell qualified for the 2016 Paralympics. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she rallied from an opening-round loss to secure a bronze medal. "I felt I had achieved so much for a woman from a little country town with no table tennis club and really wanted to finish my international career on a high," said McDonnell. "Although I knew it was the right decision to step down and make way for younger players, I certainly had a few tears just thinking about the possibility of not seeing all my amazing teammates again." Looking back at her medal-rich career, McDonnell is most proud of her least tangible accomplishments. "Medals and titles are certainly great and every athlete loves to win but just knowing I may have helped someone along my journey or even inspired another Para-athlete to do their best and never give up is so much more rewarding," reflects McDonnell. Although the path was neither direct nor easy, the little girl from Townsville overcame unimaginable obstacles to achieve an athlete's ultimate honor of representing her country on the international stage. After a sporting career which can only be described as inspirational, Andrea McDonnell is now riding off into the sunset on her own terms.

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