Melissa Perrine bawled her eyes out for 10 minutes after her final Winter Paralympics run, then threw her support firmly behind Australia's team that has so far claimed just one medal but given glimpses of the future.
The Australian para snow sports great and dual Pyeongchang 2018 bronze medallist's hopes of a fairytale finish ended in Saturday's slalom on the penultimate day of the 2022 Beijing Games.
Perrine was 10th after her first slalom run then got her ski caught and didn't finish her second but she was proud after throwing everything at her final campaign, ending a career that took her to four Winter Paralympics from 2010.
"It been a tough campaign, it has been a tough season and a tough four years to get back here. But at the same time it's been an epic 12 years," said Perrine, who came sixth in giant slalom.
"I've spent 12 years at the top of my sport, not many athletes can say that.
"I hope I've left passion. I want everyone to come after me knowing that this is the best sport in the world, that if you have passion, if you have love for this, you'll be successful, regardless of your position.
"I hope that all my teammates can see that and I hope they carry that into the future."
Bar a boilover in Sunday's men's slalom events, Ben Tudhope's snowboard cross bronze will be Australia's only medal in Beijing, which would be the country's worst haul since failing to medal at Innsbruck in 1988.
But Perrine highlighted excellent performances from para alpine skiing debutants Rae Anderson and Josh Hanlon.
"I wouldn't say it's been tough results-wise for this team," Perrine said.
"We've got Patrick (Jensen) who had an absolutely epic Games, we've got Rae and Josh at their first Winter Games absolutely killing it.
"For Josh to come in here and pull an 11th in a field as deep as his, it's phenomenal. It's insane. The boy is a massive talent for the future.
"Rae got a top-10 yesterday. Again, nuts. It's so good.
"Our results are that of a young team and a team that can grow. We have an excellent base here and I've got every belief that this team is going to come out strong."
Rio Summer Paralympian Anderson came seventh in the standing slalom.
The 25-year-old, who has left-sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy said her body struggled to back up a day after coming 10th in giant slalom.
Anderson was ninth after her first run and received medical attention between runs.
"To perform on my second run after what was a really hard first run, I'm just stoked, it's just amazing. So many emotions right now," she said.
"That first run, I couldn't get my leg under control, it was doing whatever it wanted. The icy conditions didn't help.
"After that first run I was basically carried out of the mixed zone.
"I had to sit down and try and get my body under control before I could even put my skis on to get back down the hill to get medical treatment. We had to go and do a lot of massage.
"While I was waiting for my turn at the second run, I was sitting down on the snow the whole time, just getting my weight off my legs."
