kánová competed in her first summer paralympics at the 2000 games in sydney, australia, where she won the gold medal in the individual class 3 tournament. she continued to compete at successive paralympic games, winning a bronze in 2004 in athens, greece, and a silver at the beijing games in 2008. her most recent medal came at the 2012 summer paralympics, when she defeated welsh athlete sara head in the bronze medal match and won her nation's first medal of the competition. she does not keep her paralympic medals, instead giving them away to those who have helped her compete.