Belgium's Marieke Vervoort Contemplating Euthanasia After Rio Paralympics

"Everybody sees me laugh with my gold medal, but no one sees the dark side," says para-athlete Marieke Vervoort.

"I suffer greatly, sometimes sleeping only ten minutes a night - and still go for the gold. Rio is my last wish," she adds.

Vervoort recently made these comments to French newspaper Le Parisien. The London 2012 Paralympics gold and silver medal winner is suffering from a rare spinal degenerative disease, an incurable condition.

While Vervoort will hope to defend her T52 100m title in Rio, and better her 200m silver medal from London, she will also be counting what could be her last days on earth, as she considers euthanasia, legal in her country Belgium.

Vervoort's is one of the most-followed stories of the Rio Paralympics, which start on Wednesday. However, her story is unlikely to end with a silver lining, as chances of her recovery are close to nil.

It was in 2000 that Vervoort was brought down by the rare condition. She has carried on despite the impediment, and has earned a number of plaudits as a wheelchair athlete.

For Marieke Vervoort, the Rio 2016 Paralympics will now most likely be the last sporting event of a glittering career.

With euthanasia requiring the written consent of three doctors in Belgium, the athlete is now contemplating the possibility of ending her life, as her health continues to worsen.

"I have a bucket list, including stunt flying, and I have started thinking about euthanasia," she is quoted as saying.