Laura Wilkinson.Photo: Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty
Speaking about her incredible journey — which also included recovering from spinal surgery in 2018 — Wilkinson has said that what keeps her motivated is her love for the sport.
“I’m kind of just surprised I’m doing it, honestly,” she toldTodayin an interview that aired Friday. “When I retired at 30 I was old back then, so yeah this whole journey has been a crazy fun road.”
“When you feel called to do something and you’re passionate about it, you just want to be all in,” Wilkinson added.
As for her children, although some of them are too young to fully “understand what’s going on,” they’ve all been supportive, attending her matches and cheering her on.
Laura Wilkinson.Kirk Irwin/Getty
“I think my older kids, I’ve got one that’s 9 and one that’s 10, and they kind of understand what’s going on and they’re getting really into it, but my little ones, they get excited they want to clap and cheer, but then they’re like, ‘can we just go home and play now?’ " she added with a laugh.Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
Kirk Irwin/Getty
Although her comeback journey has been full of challenges, Wilkinson said that those ups and downs are exactly what “makes the journey worth it.”
“It’s never going to be an easy road, but that’s what makes the journey worth it,” she toldToday. “When you get to the other side, whether you achieve all your goals and your dreams or you don’t, going through all of that, it refines you as a person, it’s walking through that fire, and you become better in that process.”
“I feel very much like this is exactly where I need to be, I don’t know why, but I love getting to do this again. Who knows how long that’s for, but I’m just trying to love and soak up every moment,” Wilkinson added. “I want to do everything the best that I can and walk away feeling proud whether I am on that team or not.”
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer on NBC.
source: people.com
