Turkish national para swimmer Sümeyye Boyacı is ramping up her preparations for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, set to kick off on Aug. 28.
With the stakes high, Sümeyye is training rigorously at the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Swimming Pool, located in the Turkish Olympic Preparation Center in Trabzon, alongside her coach.
Fresh off a bronze medal in the 50-meter backstroke from last year's Para Swimming World Championships in England, Sümeyye is focused on securing another podium finish at the Paris Games.
Her impressive track record includes victories at both European and World Championships, fueling her ambition to return from Paris with a medal.
"The camp is going very well,” Sümeyye told Anadolu Agency (AA).
"The facilities, the people, everything in Trabzon is excellent. I find this city quite lucky. After a camp here in 2021, I achieved my best performance, and I even celebrated my 18th birthday here. I always mark my birthdays during training camps," she said.
Sümeyye is brimming with anticipation for the Paralympics.
“The thrill of competition is what makes this job so rewarding,” she said. “My passion fuels me through the grueling training. I embrace exhaustion because it represents progress. Our focus on speed, strength, and power is crucial, and I’m confident it will propel me to success.”
Reflecting on her near-miss at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Sümeyye shared: “Missing out on a medal in Tokyo was a setback, but it fueled my determination. I trained hard, broke my own career record, and earned a medal at the World Championships as I promised myself. My goal for Paris is to improve my ranking and bring home a medal for our country.”
With the Paris Games on the horizon, Sümeyye emphasized the urgency of her final preparations.
“There’s very little time left, and we’re doing everything possible to represent our nation with excellence,” she added.
