Australian champion Curtis McGrath could be excused for being a little distracted in Tokyo this week as he tries to focus on becoming the first athlete to win two paracanoe gold medals at a single Paralympics.

The 33-year-old made uncharacteristic mistakes in both his heat races on Thursday, and then faced media questioning on an issue very close to his heart, but a long way from his main focus this week – the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

McGrath lost both his legs when he stepped on a land mine while on duty in Afghanistan in 2012, and has found it hard in the past fortnight not to be sucked in by the wall-to-wall coverage of events unfolding in a country which changed his life dramatically.

McGrath questioned in the lead-up to the Paralympics if his sacrifice on the battlefield had been worth it, in light of the fall-out from the withdrawal of international forces.

But he said on Thursday he had come to terms with his emotions.

“My role in Afghanistan was to find the land mines and IED’s, and I think I achieved that,” McGrath said after his opening Paralympic races.

“The cost of my legs for Afghanistan is something we all have to reflect on, regardless if it’s losing your legs, your life or a loved one, it’s something we all have to find our own peace with. I’m okay now with what’s happened and the cost to me.

“I am worried about soldiers in the Afghanistan army. They were good soldiers and they helped us out a lot, and hopefully they will have some peace and not be affected by the Taliban or the terrors which them might impose.”

McGrath now has to put his emotions aside to focus on defending his KL2 Paralympic gold medal and on become the VL3’s first gold medalist. On Thursday he struggled to stay inside his lane in both races, but said the events in Afghanistan were not causing his mind to wander.

“I don’t know if it’s a distraction. There’s so much conflict around the world, and this is just another piece and I was a part of that,” McGrath said.

“There are things going on in Myanmar and Africa and other places, it’s just something that the world has to figure out, and hopefully the people of Afghanistan can do it themselves.

“I’ve come here with a job to do, and so far I’ve half done it, and hopefully we can get on to the podium later on.”

Pics by Dezso Vekassy