Sport has been a part of her life since the age of 12, and today it is a way of life for her. She has been awarded by the KOE (Cyprus Olympic Committee) as the Top Junior of the year. It won the 10th place in the world junior championship, while in its category it holds the 8th places in the world and 4 in Europe.
She is only 19 years old and yet she is dedicated to what she does, trying to become the best version of herself. She likes all sports but what she loved most from High School and decided to follow is archery. She is a young woman with dreams and ambitions, but she never rests, but struggles with passion to achieve as much as possible.
We recommend Gavriella Fella from Sotira, a shot put athlete.
Interview with Diamanto Anastasiou:
Sports want sacrifices. How do you deal with it as a 19-year-old girl?
I can't say I'm deprived of things. An athlete is not like an ordinary person. Everyday life is different. I, for example, wake up in the morning, go to training, home and then do the same again. You can't go out every night, nor can you spend the night. But again, I can't say I'm behind things I want to do. During the weekend I have free hours to go for coffee or go out. They can be combined.
"My dream is the Olympic Games. I would very much like to be able to qualify for the Olympics! ”
How do your people deal with your decision to shoot?
They are by my side and they support me in everything I do, in whatever decision I make. They do not affect me at all negatively, but only positively from the beginning. Also, my coach is always by my side. Everything I need is really willing to help me, either professionally or personally.
Any races you typically remember?
Several races. In essence, each race is unique. I have something to remember from each one. Each was a unique experience in itself. I always look forward to the days for each match with a lot of enthusiasm and impatience. Especially when I think about traveling, seeing other places, I get even more excited.
Your next goal.
I have several races a month, almost every weekend. The next big match is the European Junior Championships next July in Italy. It is one of our most important races this year.
You are now the Top Young Girl of the Year. How do you feel;
It is a great honor for me to be awarded as the top athlete of the year. It's a way to reward your efforts and everything you give to succeed. I feel that the time I spend is not wasted, and that I can really do things.
You rank 10th in the world, 8th in the world and 4th in Europe in your category. How do you feel about that?
I am proud of myself. However, I am never 100% happy with myself. I think I can do better. I am quite satisfied though. There is always room for improvement and I continue to work hard. There has not yet been a race that I was completely happy with. In every match I feel like I still had something to give. After all, we always ask for more than we have.
Are you an anxious guy? How do you deal with stress?
There is anxiety, just sometimes you can't control it either. But somehow when you enter the race you lose all contact. Time, the world. You can not understand what is happening around you. I still haven't been able to deal with it completely. You enter the field, follow the flow of the match and it passes. Once the fight is over you really understand that there was no reason to go through all this stress. The worst phase of the race is before. Then everything is lost.
Where do you want to go and what is your sports dream?
The higher it goes. I do not intend to get to a specific point. My dream, like any athlete, is of course the Olympic Games. I would love to do that.
Would you like to stay on the field forever or follow something else?
If I can and will stay forever either as an athlete or with another role, then yes. But I don't think it's so easy nowadays to just be involved in sports. But there was nothing else that attracted me. I never liked anything as much as sports. I will see later. At the moment I am an athlete and I am focused on doing the best I can.
What is sport for you?
It's a way of life. The way to get away from everything else. It expresses me that I am involved in sports. I love what I do and of course if I didn't love it I would never do it.
Interview: Diamanto Anastasiou
Photos: Marinos Pavlikkas
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