“I'm going all out for the gold I'm missing,” said the swimmer, an eight-time Paralympic medalist, six months before Paris 2024.
PARIS, Jan. 23 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Paralympic swimmer Sarai Gascón, eight-time medalist – six silver and two bronze – in the Paralympic Games, aims to achieve the gold that is missing from her resume in Paris 2024 and stated that elite athletes sometimes focus too much on results and they “forget” to “enjoy the journey.”
In an interview with Europa Press, the Spanish swimmer, ambassador of Iberia's 'Talent on Board' program, declared herself a “little nervous” about putting herself in the shoes of facing the next Paralympic Games, from August 28 to September 8. “The emotions of experiencing the Paralympic Games are amazing,” she noted.
“The medal I still have to get is the gold. I know that it is a very difficult medal to get because all the swimmers fight for it, but it is true that it is not impossible. I am going to go for everything, both in my individual events as well as in relays and I hope he achieves it,” he hoped.
Like Teresa Perales from Aragon, Sarai Gascón considered that “yes” it can be “a mirror where girls and boys who are starting out in swimming are reflected, whether or not they have a disability.” “I think that any elite athlete who strives to be among the best in the world can be a great reference,” she said.
In this sense, he celebrated that, together with the athlete Gerard Descarrega, the Paralympic athletes integrate “as another member” the 'Talent on board' program because it represents a “recognition” of their work and a symptom of normalization and integration by the society. “It is a guaranteed success and they should treat us like this everywhere we go,” he added.
However, Gascón, who was born without part of his left arm and won his first Paralympic medal at just 15 years old, acknowledged that a few years ago he went through a period in which he did not enjoy training and competition.
“At the 2016 Rio Games I put all my energy into that competition, both physically and mentally. And that takes its toll. But then I managed to look for other different motivations, not only getting medals but also improving myself and, little by little, , I have also been regaining my motivation. Because, sometimes, we also forget to enjoy the journey. Elite athletes want to achieve good results and we forget to enjoy. I think I am doing it now and that is also the key to success “he commented.
The Catalan stressed that women are increasingly practicing sports and obtaining good results, a fact that attracts the interest of the media, which is why girls have had “more references and have been encouraged to practice sports.”
“I MANAGED TO FIND HARMONY WITH ME”
In the past Gascón would get into his 'bubble' when a big competition was approaching, he didn't fully enjoy it because he repeated like a mantra that he had to 'win, win and win'. That mentality has changed in recent times.
“Athletes have a goal and, sometimes, we get the feeling that if we deviate a little from rest, from training and simply enjoy, we laugh with our teammates, like we are doing something wrong because we are not dedicating ourselves only to And in that sense, I have managed to find harmony with myself and enjoy the journey, which is very important,” she reflected.
In his opinion, athletes not only have to prepare physically but also mentally and “enjoy” what they are passionate about, and he expressed his confidence in achieving a great result at the Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer in the French capital. .
“We are prepared to improve the medal table from the previous Games. I think and hope that we will overcome it, so I make a clear commitment to the athletes. We have felt very supported during this cycle and we hope to be able to give the best of ourselves,” he said. .
Personally, she hopes to give her “best” and enjoy herself. “I will fight as hard as possible to get on the box and, if it is as high as possible, even better with that long-awaited gold,” he stressed to Europa Press on the tenth floor of a central Pasino hotel, with the Eiffel Tower as a witness to his Paralympic desire.