London Paralympian Melissa Tapper will channel an unlikely hero in Forrest Gump as she battles able-bodied rivals for a spot on Australia's Commonwealth Games table tennis team.
Tapper, 23, was born with nerve damage in her right arm, but says she's wanted to play table tennis for Australia since she took up a bat as an eight-year-old and never stopped playing - just like Forrest in the movie.
She's one of eight women who will compete for places on the squad for Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games trials on the Gold Coast over the weekend.
The Victorian says competing against able-bodied opponents won't be such a stretch because she never really saw herself as having a disability - by age 18, she was the No.1 junior female player in Australia.
The Victorian plays lefthanded and believes that is an advantage.
"The lefties aren't so common, so not everyone has the opportunity to play against it," she says.
"It's a different spin. Even when I play a left-hander I don't particularly enjoy it."
Top of the women's draw is veteran former Australian No.1 Miao Miao, vying for a spot on her fourth Commonwealth Games team.
While she pays her respects to Miao's "impressive reign", Tapper says it's time for some new blood in the sport.
"I'd love to be the one to step up and start the new generation."
At last year's London Paralympics, Tapper narrowly lost out on the bronze medal.
She says playing in both para-athlete and able-bodied contests is like having "the best of both worlds".
But looking to this weekend's trials, she's focused on bringing out her inner Gump and playing quality 'ping-pong'.
"There might be a bit of playing against the folded-up table," she said.
"When you think of it, Forrest Gump had the whole leg issue, didn't he?"
