Bibian Mentel, a champion Dutch snowboarder who lost her lower right leg to cancer, then returned to the sport a few months later and dominated it for the next 16 years, died on Monday at her home in Loosdrecht, the Netherlands. After losing her leg, Ms. Mentel had continued to struggle with cancer throughout her career, and in March she announced that it had spread to her brain and was inoperable. Her death was confirmed by a representative of her nonprofit organization, the Mentelity Foundation. Ms. Mentel, a steely-eyed competitor who won gold medals at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Paralympic Games, was widely considered among the best snowboarders in the world. She was also a celebrity in the Netherlands, where her athletic achievements, inspirational life story and natural sense of poise and glamour made her the subject of fashion-magazine cover articles and television profiles.

Source: International New York Times April 01, 2021 20:26 UTC