Few Australians have ever dominated a winter sport like Laura Peel.
Leading into the Beijing Winter Olympics, the aerial skier was the reigning World Cup champion, and reigning World Championships winner.
She could do jumps that other skiers simply were not capable of and, with a combination of bravery and skill, she had pushed the boundaries of what was possible for female freestyle skiers, in a sport known for being both spectacular and incredibly dangerous.
"Doing backflips, honestly, just brings me a lot of joy. I'm very lucky to call it my job," she said.
"It's just a really great feeling and I love what I do."
Peel entered the Olympics as Australia's flag-bearer and the red hot gold medal favourite. She then qualified for the 12-woman final at the top of her group.
However, when it came to her final jump, disaster struck.
The wind in Beijing kicked in and, with Peel generating so much hang time in the air, it made her signature daring jumps almost impossible to execute.
"We're often at the mercy of Mother Nature," she said.
"It takes three seconds … mistakes are made before you even realise anything has happened."
Peel landed awkwardly on her last jump, finishing fifth.
It was still a remarkable achievement, but a decade of preparations and a lifetime of dreaming of an Olympic medal had been dashed.
'With or without an Olympic medal'
Dealing with the fallout of one blustery Beijing day has tested the resolve of the 33-year-old over the past nine months.
"It's the Olympic Games. It doesn't happen for everybody. Unfortunately, it didn't happen for me," she said.
However, with that disappointment came a steely determination not to let one bad day define her career.
She spent more time than usual back in her hometown of Canberra, contemplating her next move.
Retirement crossed her mind, but she has decided to continue to chase her dreams in the sport she loves.
"It's important not to value yourself solely on one event," she said.
"When I look back, I think the last 12 years have been really well spent, with or without an Olympic medal."
Moving on to the next challenge
The Canberran is now in northern Finland, preparing for the start of the World Cup next month, which heralds the beginning of another European season.
And, in her trademark style, Laura Peel is refusing to rest on her laurels.
"I still want to push the difficulty in the women's field. I still want to be up on the triple, week in and week out, doing triple backflips," she said.
And there are still major titles on the line.
"We've got the World Championships this year. That's in Georgia, so we're aiming to peak there, that's the main event."
It's another chance for Laura Peel to add to one of the most-impressive winter sports trophy cabinets in Australian history.
