A US Paralympic athlete lost both her legs when her parents set off a suicide bomb.
Swimmer Haven Shepherd was just 14 months at the time when her mum and dad held her in their arms while a bomb was strapped to their bodies.
The couple were reportedly in an extramarital relationship and believed if they could not be together they should all die, and while they lost their lives, Shepherd miraculously survived.
Despite her parents' heinous acts, Shepherd holds no resentment towards them and always aims to stay positive.
“That's a life I never lived; I don't remember it, I only lost my legs, I could have lost my life," she says.
“If you have faith in yourself, you can push through.”
Six months later she was adopted by Rob and Shelly Shepherd, who she has endless gratitude for everything they have done for her.
She added: "My parents gave me the world, and they put me in every single sport."
After five years of rigorous training, Shepherd will be representing Team USA for the first time in Tokyo at the age of 18.
She will compete in the swimming 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley races.
The teen is proud of her work ethic and aims to do her absolute best in Tokyo, but she has decided to keep her expectations low.
“My goals here (in Tokyo) are to be myself and have fun," she says.
"I am not going to come with high expectations of myself, because if you set yourself such high expectations you are always going to be disappointed."
Shepherd continued: “If I leave Tokyo with my head held high, that's worth more to me than a gold medal.”
Her family will be watching closely in Missouri and whether she is able to bring home some hardware or not, they will be incredibly proud of what she has been able to achieve.
She will begin her campaign with the 200m medley SM8 in the early hours on August 28.
