And that set the stage for the epic five-race challenge she'll undertake at the London Paralympics.
"In an e-mail from England, Adam Bleakney, Tatyana's coach at Illinois and a veteran wheelchair racer, said: "Part of the reason she's able to be successful in both the shorter and longer distances has to do with the nature of our sport . . . you have to be a power-oriented athlete who can produce a high percentage of peak power over extended periods of time.
"So that is to say, even the marathoners in our sport need to have 100-meter sprinting ability. Tatyana has an incredible top speed and is able to hold a relatively high percentage of that speed over long distances.
"Every race she starts in London will be a battle – there will be no easy victories."
Tatyana McFadden says she's fine with that. There haven't been too many easy victories in her life to date, anyway.
"I'm excited about (these) Games," she said. "It's been four long years of training. . . I think what the Paralympics is trying to bring out now is that for people with physical disabilities, they don't really emphasize the disabilities, but that we're elite athletes as well."
Then Lady Velocity steals another glance at her racing wheelchair and smiles. It won't be long now. London is calling. So is a chance to make history.
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