Tokyo Paralympics: Bethany Firth revels in 'happy place' after Paralympic gold
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Firth has now won nine Paralympic medals, six gold and three silver
Bethany Firth says enjoying swimming continues to be more important than winning medals after claiming her sixth Paralympic gold.
The 25-year-old dominated the S14 100m backstroke final to take a commanding win in a time of 1:05.92.
It is a fourth medal of the Games for Firth, taking her overall tally to nine having made her Paralympic debut in 2012.
"Swimming is my happy place," she told Channel 4.
"When it got taken away during Covid I really struggled and I needed [my family], and I needed my church and my coach.
"They all build me up from the bottom so to just be here and show them that all their hard work wasn't for nothing, I just can't wait to see them."
Northern Ireland's Firth was in imperious form to retain the title she first won as a 16-year-old in London when she was representing Ireland.
Having taken silver in the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley, along with gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay, Firth will leave Japan having furthered her reputation as one of GB's finest ever Para-swimmers.
"I spoke to my psychologist before and we talked about grounding myself and realising why I'm here, looking to my cross and just keeping the faith.
"I really wanted that race so bad. I got it in London, I got it in Rio, that was the one I've been waiting all week for so I'm just so glad to come out and do it.
"I feel like in sport it's so hard people don't really care if you get gold or silver, everyone here has made it to a Paralympics and they should be so proud to be a Paralympian.
"Just showing up and doing it in front of their country and in front of the world. That's what it should be about, not the medals."
'She has always been a fighter'
Having been forced to contend with multiple shoulder injuries and a heavily disrupted build-up due to Covid-19, Firth arrived in Japan determined to prioritise enjoyment over the fight for medals.
Training for the Games included a prolonged spell of improvisation at her family home in Seaforde, County Down, where Firth conducted her swimming in an inflatable 10 foot paddling pool while held in place by a rope tied to the garden fence.
"Bethany went through an awful lot, she has had three major shoulder injuries which has taken her out of the water for months on end," her mother Lindsey told Channel 4.
"She's also had the cold paddling pool which I think everyone has heard about, but she has always been a fighter.
"Nelson (Lindsay, Firth's coach) was saying to us six weeks ago her strokes were off because she had the shoulder injury and really we just didn't know how these Games would go,".