Over 25 years of Special Olympics competition, Karina Du Paul has won more than 100 medals in a variety of sports, from curling to softball.

But her most recent hardware haul is one she's likely most proud of.

Karina specializes in swimming, a sport in which she's won approximately 75 per cent of her medals over the years.

And the 39-year-old Langley resident had her invisible jet pack strapped on at the Down Syndrome International Swimming Organization 5th World Championships in Taipei, Taiwan from Oct. 1-7.

She won four medals in Taipei, including a gold in 200m individual medley, silvers in the 100m butterfly and 100m breaststroke, and a bronze in 50m butterfly.

The good news didn't end there. Her parents Gaston and Huguette received an email late Saturday afternoon, stating that Karina attained four world records in Taipei for the age group of 35-plus.

Along with Kristeen Cooper of Nanaimo, Karina was one of two B.C. reps on the seven member (three women, four men) Canadian national Down Syndrome swim team that shared the pool in Taipei with more than 160 athletes from 25 countries.

Karina's last taste of success on the international stage came at the 2003 Special Olympics World Games in Dublin, where she collected three medals in the pool - golds in the 100m butterfly and as a member of the Canadian women's 4 x 100m medley relay team, and a bronze in the 400m freestyle.

At this year's international meet in Taipei, she was joined by Gaston and Huguette.

Gaston called the world championships, "a very good experience."

"We're very proud," Gaston said, of his daughter. "She did very good. She had seven events and took home four medals, but in all seven events she beat her best time."

Parents of the swimmers stayed at the Hondu Hotel near the pool, and the swimmers and coaches called one of the universities in the city their temporary home.

"We stayed in Taipei for 15 days, so we had many opportunities to visit the city and outside the city," Gaston said. "The competition was great and well run and the athletes really enjoyed it... and so did the parents."

Karina's success in Taiwan was a spillover from the 2010 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in London, Ont., where she won a gold and three silver medals in the pool.

Her medal wins are the culmination of a lot of hard work. Karina trains three days a week - one day with Special Olympics and the other two with her parents, both of whom have coached Special Olympics for many years.

sports@langleyadvance.com