Dutch Olympic Committee*Dutch Sports Federation did not support her, and the Dutch Skiing sports federation would only fund a small portion of her expenses. She was able to obtain the required funds to compete at the 2018 Winter Paralympics through crowdfunding. At the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang, Mentel was once again the Dutch flag bearer, again winning the gold medal in the snowboard cross, as well as taking the gold medal on the banked slalom event, beating American competitor Brittani Coury by 0.07 seconds. Fight against cancer Since being diagnosed with cancer at age 27, Mentel was confronted with and treated for cancer nine times, including five surgeries. The most recent surgery, in January 2018, replaced her C6 neck vertebra with a titanium frame. In 2016 she was told the cancer was terminal, but a switch to a different hospital, where she could receive advanced MRI-guided radiotherapy treatment, pulled her through, such that she was able to compete successfully in 2018. Mentel co-wrote two books about her life, career and struggles with cancer. Magnate and philanthropist Richard Branson called her second book Kut kanker!, whose title loosely translates as "Cancer Is Crap!", a "[s]tory of an amazing woman. A must read for anyone who wants to enjoy life to the max". In total, she had received 15 treatments for cancer. Terminal tumor and death In early March 2021, it was announced that she had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. According to a statement by her management, she was looking no further ahead than a few months and had started saying farewell to friends and family. On 29 March 2021, it was announced that Mentel had died from the consequences of the tumor. She was survived by her husband and her son. Education In 1993, Mentel gave up her law school study in Amsterdam to focus on snowboarding entirely. In 2004 she graduated from the four-year high-level professional program in 'commercial economics, sports marketing & management' at the Randstad Topsports Academy – a collaboration of the Hogeschool Rotterdam and the Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and in 2013 she became an 'International Master of Sport Management' at the Johan Cruyff Institute. Mentelity foundation and other activities In 2012, Mentel set up her own "Mentelity foundation", to stimulate, motivate, and inspire children and adolescents with a physical disability (to continue) to engage in sports, both in general, as well