Turkish Paralympic swimmer Sümeyye Boyacı is determined to achieve her unfulfilled dream from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.
Having participated in numerous competitions throughout her career, Boyacı fell short of her goal to win a medal at the Tokyo Games four years ago despite her hard work.
Continuing her efforts, Boyacı, last year, clinched a bronze medal in the 50-meter backstroke at the Para Swimming World Championships in England.
The national swimmer, who continues to train intensively, participated in a high-altitude training camp in Erzurum as part of the activities of the Turkish Physically Disabled Sports Federation for the new season.
Completing her training at the facility in Palandöken, which is Europe's only high-altitude full Olympic swimming pool, the aqua star will represent Türkiye at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games after participating in World Series races and the European Championship.
Boyacı, who aims to complete her unfinished story in Tokyo in Paris, is determined to wear the Olympic medal this time.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Boyacı stated that she had previously trained twice in Erzurum and said, "I had prepared for Tokyo with a very disciplined training program. Unfortunately, I narrowly missed the medal due to some disruptions. Sometimes, even if you work hard, things do not go as planned, but instead, you gain valuable experiences and insights. I returned from Tokyo not with a medal, but with very valuable experiences."
Boyacı emphasized that she will try to demonstrate the strength of Turkish women in Paris, saying, "I want to turn my experiences into medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. More than a medal, I want to compete in the Paralympic Games as a Turkish woman and athlete. I had a dream of wearing a medal around my neck that fell through in Tokyo which I want to fulfill in Paris. I thank the Turkish Swimming Federation, the Turkish National Paralympic Committee, and the Youth and Sports Ministry, who have always supported us."
Mehmet Bayrak, the coach responsible for the Paralympic Games at the Turkish Swimming Federation, stated that they had their first camp of the season in Erzurum.
Bayrak said that Boyacı is preparing for the games in Paris and added, "We want to participate in the Paris Paralympic Games and continue from where we left off in 2021. She was the European and world champion; now, we need a medal at the Olympics. She is working hard for that."
Bayrak stated that the camp was very beneficial, saying, "Although our 21-day camp was very challenging both physically and mentally, we are trying to overcome it. In the future, we will continue to work harder to help both Sümeyye and our other siblings. We have World Series races in Italy now. It will be for preparation. In April, we have the European Championship. We aim to achieve good results there, return to our country with medals, and continue our path with even greater motivation before the Olympics."
