After her sixth Paralympic Games Great Britain’s Jeanette Chippington thought she had experienced every possible emotion which comes with representing your country on the world stage.

But her seventh Games is giving her a whole new experience – not that she is complaining.

“It’s a real privilege actually,” she said.

“I was a bit worried coming here, I didn’t know with all the Covid measures what the atmosphere would be like, but it’s been absolutely incredible. I just feel really honoured to be here and hope that I can do my very best.

“Every Games something has happened, and I’ve learnt by it, so I’m always expecting something to happen. To be honest, around the village, and racing, it feels very similar. They’ve done an amazing job here, the Japanese, it’s been incredible.”

Chippington’s incredible Paralympic career began in Seoul in 1988, when she won a silver medal in paraswimming. She went on to win 12 medals in swimming, including two golds, over a five-Games period stretching from Seoul to Athens in 2004.

After stepping away as an athlete to concentrate on coaching, she was lured back to the arena with the arrival of paracanoe, a decision which rewarded with a gold medal at the sport’s Paralympic debut in Rio in 2016.

She said she could not have predicted back in 1988 that she would still be competing at the top level more than three decades later.

“I would not have believed it,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have believed I would have changed sports, and I’m so glad that I have had that opportunity to compete in another sport. I must admit I never thought I would enjoy another sport as much as I do my swimming, but definitely paracanoe is up there with it, if not overtaken it.

“You have to enjoy what you do. Why wouldn’t anybody want the opportunity to come to a Games, and if you ever get that opportunity, than you would know why I keep wanting to come back for more.”

Chippington is not sure where she stands on the list of most all-time appearances at a Paralympics, but there is a fair chance she is somewhere pretty close to the top. And while she may no longer have the speed and stamina of her earlier Games, there is no talk of retirement yet.

As Chippington herself says, no-one wants to stop having fun, and she’s having more fun now than ever.

“It’s incredible actually, I don’t give myself enough praise, I should definitely be giving myself a big pat on the back for making my seventh Games,” she said.

“If anything I get more of a buzz now, because now I try and take everything in, whereas when I was a bit younger it all just flew by me. Now I try and savor every moment, and I think maybe this will be my last Games, I don’t know.

“It’s always the focus to get a medal, but ultimately if I do the best race I can than the result will be what it is and I’ll come away pleased with it. But it would be the icing on the cake to come away with a medal.”