2018 race another challenge for Paralympic legend

DURBAN, South Africa — Germany's 12-time Paralympic Winter Games champion Verena Bentele has overcome many challenges in life and she told AFP the race for the hosting of the 2018 edition is just another one.The 29-year-old biathlete and cross-country skier, who won five of her golds at last year's Vancouver Paralympics and became only the second athlete to achieve such a feat, is an integral part of the Munich bid here.The German city is attempting to become the first venue to host both the Summer (1972) and Winter Games and is up against Korean favourite Pyeongchang, runner-up on the last two occasions, and the French alpine town of Annecy.For Bentele, brought up in Baden Wurtemberg but who has spent a large part of her life in Munich, it would be a dream for the Games to get the approval of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) here on Wednesday."I love to have a challenge and cross the borders, especially for a blind person like myself, because you have to trust your guide completely," she said. "I like that a lot."The Munich bid is just like competing in another competition. You can train and we have trained a lot and under very, very good conditions, but you also need a bit of luck along the way. So it's wonderful to be in the final."Bentele, who received a Masters in German Literature and Language earlier this year from Munich University, said that she would consider carrying on competing."Everyone asks if I would extend my career to compete in Munich," said Bentele, who is searching for a new guide as the previous one has changed jobs and cannot devote enough time to her training."It would be wonderful to compete in what I regard as my home town. I would have to stay fit for seven years but my will is very strong."Munich hosting the Games would be a dream."Bentele says initial fears over the Munich Games not being ecologically sound were ill founded."I grew up on my parents' organic farm," she said."They are a couple who have taken care of nature and its surroundings. So as a girl from an orga

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