Rio de Janeiro, Jan 8 (IANS): Sophie Pascoe may only be 21, but she is already a veteran on swimming's elite stage and the Paralympian aims to retain the titles she won in London in 2012.

The winner of six Paralympic gold medals, the New Zealander will compete at her third Games in Rio de Janeiro next year, reports Xinhua.

"I'm excited about Rio and expecting its people to be fun, flamboyant and keen to deliver a fantastic Paralympic Games experience," Pascoe told Rio2016.com.

"I'm looking forward to seeing a large number of highly competitive athletes in Rio as Paralympic sport continues to go from strength to strength each year. It's harder to retain a title and that's what I plan to do."

Pascoe, who won three gold and three silver medals at the London 2012 Paralympics, continued her outstanding form at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year, winning the 100m breaststroke in the SB9 class and 200m medley in the SM10 division.

When asked if she had to make sacrifices to achieve success in the pool, Pascoe replied: "Yes, in respect of having a social life like my friends do and also in my studies.

"I had to grow up a lot quicker than my peers. However, I'm doing what I love and I can't ask for much more. Also, the more I travel around the world, the more I gain knowledge and independence."