Mentel-Spee won two golds at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics in snowboard cross and banked slalom. 

She successfully defended her gold medal in snowboard cross from the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics. 

The Dutchwoman decided to retire after Pyeongchang having battled against cancer for the past four years.

Small traces of the illness were found in her lungs just weeks before she competed in South Korea.

"The last four years were a bit rough on me medical-wise," Mentel-Spee said. 

"I'm still in that phase to be honest, like the cancer is still not gone. 

"And I'm not sure if it will ever go away, I probably will never be cured for the rest of my life. 

"So it's just been a decision about life, not only snowboarding."

Mentel-Spee has since decided to focus on snowboarding at grassroots level. 

"I've been the whole summer thinking about it, about what I want to do," she said. 

"And what makes me happy is how we can progress the sport, how we can get kids into the sport and make it grow. 

"And I think it is about time to take the next step."

She is currently organising a sports festival called the "Mentelity Games" in Switzerland which will invite those with physical impairments to try winter snow sports. 

"I hope that kids who have an impairment have the same choices as able-bodied kids and that they can try a couple of sports and see what they like best," she said.