A member of the national rhythmic gymnastics team is going to remarkable lengths to live her dream of competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Twenty-four-year-old Katherine Paton has the enormous dedication, focus and ability of her teammates, but her medical condition makes her even more remarkable, Seven Sharp reported.
Ms Paton has renal failure and must have kidney dialysis four times a day.
"I have end stage renal failure from a genetic mutation. So I have zero kidney function. The only thing that's keeping me alive is this dialysis. Without it I would live two weeks," she explained at her home.
"This is my life, four times a day, every day, hook up to my machine."
Ms Paton said she had a transplant in 2008 from her mother who was the same blood type.
"That lasted eight years which was great. I got to go out and live my life. But then of course rejection happened and the kidney had to be removed."
She said: "I just want to do everything I can. I want to take every opportunity. I just want to have fun."
That desire is creating a logistical dilemma as she and her fellow team members prepare for a five-week tour of Russia, Belarus and Bulgaria as a lead-in to Olympic qualification.
Ms Paton is now busy organising dozens of boxes of bags of fluids, including glucose and calcium, to be dropped in the cities she'll be competing in.
“She's one of the best gymnasts in New Zealand
Coach Marnie Sterner said Ms Paton is "going to do it and we are here to help her live her dream".
"She's one of the best gymnasts in New Zealand. She performs with her soul and her heart and her technique is absolutely outstanding."
As onerous as the dialysis treatment is the discipline required by Ms Paton to limit her intake of water and other everyday fluids to 800 mils a day - the size of one water bottle.
And while she dreams of competing at sport's highest level she also holds lingering thoughts of the kidney transplant she desperately needs to save her life.
"Hopefully one day I will get to the Olympics and it will be because someone gave me a kidney. Who knows? I'd be amazing."
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