Yesterday, Kirby Cote got a chance to do something she hasn't been able to do for some time. She went grocery shopping. It may not be earth-shattering news. But after a month and a half away, there's a lot to be said for doing regular everyday activities.

"It was great to get back to a normal life," said the 20-year-old visually-impaired swimmer, who won five gold and two silver medals at the Paralympic Games last month in Athens, Greece.

Cote arrived home late Saturday night to a hero's welcome from friends and fellow Manta Swim Club members at the Winnipeg International Airport.

'Good to be home'

"It's good to be home and to sleep in my own bed," she said yesterday.

In Athens, Cote won a medal in every event she entered. She won Canada's first medal with a gold in the 100-metre butterfly and added golds in the 50, 100 and 400 freestyle and 200 individual medley and silvers in the 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke.

"As far as my swimming goes, I wasn't surprised (to do as well as she did)," said the University of Winnipeg student, who was competing in her second Paralympics after winning two gold and two silver medals in 2000 in Sydney, Australia. "(Manta and national team coach Tom Hainey) and I had talked about how I was going to swim. We planned out everything months ago."

What did surprise her was how she won some of her races.

"In some of those races, I thought it would be tighter races," she said.

Following the Paralympic Games, Cote spent a week vacationing on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia with her family. With no practices, workouts or competitions to attend to, it was a welcome change not to have to do anything.

"It was great to do nothing," said Cote, who hasn't had a break from swimming since July.

With her seven medals safely tucked away, Cote can now consider the future. Another Paralympics isn't part of her plans. The next Paralympic Games are in 2008 in Beijing, China.

"I know for sure that I'm going to be swimming next year," said Cote, the 2000 Manitoba Female Athlete of the Year and Manitoba Youth Athlete of the Year. "But I don't think I'm going to be around for another four years."

Cote plans to concentrate on her education with the view to becoming a teacher. It's something she's never given her full attention to before.

"I never really focussed on school," she said. "Swimming was the only thing for me. Now I want to focus on school."

But Cote is certain she doesn't want to take up coaching. After watching what Hainey goes through as her coach, it's not something she's wants to try.

"I totally respect all of the stuff (coaches) have to do," she said.