This archive report was first published on 26 August 2021.
Kenyan para-rower Asiya Mohamed is gearing up for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, where she believes mental toughness will be key to her success.
Asiya, the only African representative in the competition, will compete in the PR1 Women's Single Sculls at the Sea Forest Waterway on Friday.
She has been training intensively in Portugal and Mombasa, where she honed her skills in power and endurance.
"I am mentally prepared for now and somehow unfazed with what to expect from my adversaries," Asiya said in an interview.
Asiya's longest training stint was between May and July in Portugal, where she focused on mastering techniques and learning how to stick to the designated line in a race situation.
She then moved to Mombasa, where she perfected her knack for power and endurance.
"The Portuguese cuisine is a bit different from the usual ugali we consume back home. So, with Ugali in the coast it was just power training," Asiya explained.
Asiya's coach, Joshua Kendagor, is optimistic about her chances of winning a medal.
"We are working on perfecting the starting procedures. Asiya is not a slow learner. She is picking up really well," Kendagor said.
