It might be her last swim on the international stage, and Dame Sophie Pascoe made sure it was a golden one.
Pascoe finished first in the Commonwealth Games 100m freestyle, despite admitting COVID-19 is having a long term impact on her performance.
And she was joined in her celebrations by her para-teammate Jesse Reynolds who won silver in the 100m backstroke.
A Dame and a gold medal - sure do stand out in a crowd.
The smiles were showing for fans, but the tears were flowing for her nana.
"To see a No.1 by my name, and especially that last 10 metres really hurt," Pascoe said. "I knew my nana was with me in that last 10 metres.
"That's all that matters, you know."
Pascoe's grueling golden effort, was fuelled by the memory of her nana who died just days before her flight to Birmingham.
"You know my first medal was for my grandad," she added. "Whether this is my last or not, this is for my nana."
A dedication to her best friend, and an inspiration for her teammates who tonight, had a silver to celebrate too.
After nine years of medal drought on the international stage, Jesse Reynolds very nearly gave up.
"It's amazing," he said. "I can't really believe it, it was faster than I thought I was going to go, and I thought I was going to go fast."
Fresh off the podium Dame Sophie Pascoe now has five Commonwealth Games golds to her name - but this one feels different.
Because it took the most and hurt the most. COVID has left its mark.
"All I can remember is my lungs were on fire," she added.
It was her nana's words that willed her to the wall.
"[She said] I still love you no matter what the outcome is."
And while her nana wasn't there, her fiance and friends were - love was in no short supply.
"She doesn't know how many games she has left in her," fiance Rob Samson said. "So really lucky to be able to get here.
It's one and done for Pascoe at these games. And what a one to go out on - if she's done and gold dusted for good.
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