MADRID (AP) — Hangga’t may buhay, may pag-asa.
Muling pinatotohanan ang matandang kawikaan ni Spanish karate athlete Sandra Sánchez.
Sa kabila ng kabiguan sa kanyang naunang pagtatangka at sa career na halos iwan niya para maalagaan ang masy sakit na ina, hindi tumigil sa kanyang adhikain si Sanchez at sa edad na 38-anyos nagawa niyang makapasok sa Spain National Team.
Hindi lamang katuparan ng kanyang pangarap ang mapabilang sa National squads, bagkus, lalaban siya para sa bansa sa 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sasabak si Sanchez, pinakamatandang atleta sa kanyang sports, sa kata category ng sports na karata – unang pagkakataon na lalaruin sa Olympics.
Ang Spanish fighter ay isa sa liyamado matapos mapabilang sda ‘all-time’ list nang pinakamatikas na babeng karatekas sa buong mundo.
“My stubbornness, my will to always keep working and to keep improving day after day, has allowed me to reach this moment,” pahayag ni Sánchez na panayam ng The Associated Press.
“After everything I went through in order to make it to the national team, I’m now being able to be part of this special time in which karate is part of an Olympic cycle. I feel very lucky,” aniya.
Sa kanyang pagtitiis sa ensayo at competition, sinabi ni Sanchez na gabay niya ang moto: “if you keep trying, you can make the impossible become a reality.”
“There’s a bit of luck because my good moment has coincided with karate’s moment in the Olympics.But this is only happening because of how much I persevered to make it here. There was a lot of hard work involved, day after day,” aniya.
“They considered that I didn’t fit the team,” sambit ni Sánchez. “The level of the Spanish national team at that time was very high. The team was achieving some great results and it wasn’t easy to bet on someone new. But luckily I was stubborn, I kept working hard and my opportunity finally arrived and I took advantage of it.”