Having already achieved one life-long dream of competing in a Paralympics in a second sport, Germany’s Edina Muller chose to wind down after the Rio Games by pursuing a second life-long dream – diving with manta rays.

The time she spent in the water off the Maldives capped off a pretty special 2016 for Muller, a silver medallist in the women’s KL 1 in Rio after winning gold in 2012 as a member of Germany’s wheelchair basketball team.

Some people have to wait a lifetime to achieve just one dream, so to get two in one year is pretty good form, but you get the impression when Edina Muller sets her mind on a task, she usually achieves it.

“It’s a different dream, diving is just so far away from competing, it’s a leisure sport and very calming for me,” Muller said.

Muller returned to international competition on Friday at the ICF Sprint Canoe World Cup 2 in Szeged, Hungary, winning the KL 1 gold. It was a strong result considering she had suffered a setback in her training earlier this year.

But nothing was going to stop her from paddling in Szeged, and fulfilling yet another long held dream.

“I was a little sick at the start of the season for about two months, so I’m just happy that I’m back and it’s working really well again,” she said.

“Szeged is a very special competition for me, I’ve never been here but I’m half-Hungarian, so my whole family could come.

“I have a nice little home crowd here, my 80-year-old Grandmother could come and watch my first race in canoe, so that was very special for me.”

She missed gold in Rio by just a fraction of a second, pipped by long-time rival Jeanette Chippington of Great Britain.

Initially she had that hollow feeling that goes with just missing the number one spot, but that feeling was only fleeting.

“Of course the first moment is hard. You go there to win gold, you train to win gold,” she said.

“But Jeanette is an incredible athlete, and we have had some great races.

“I was happy with my silver medal, because that’s a great result. I was just very proud to win a medal at my first Paralympics in canoe.

“If everything goes well my plan is to compete in Tokyo.”

The ICF Sprint Canoe World Cup 2 continues in Szeged this weekend.