NAIROBI, Kenya, August 11 – Kenyan para-rower Asiya Sururu Mohammed believes the pressure to perform better in her second ever Paralympics will be bigger than her debut in Tokyo in 2021.
Sururu says she is less excited about the Paris Paralympics compared to Tokyo because of the expectation of delivering on the big stage.
“It is not exciting as being at the Paralympics for the first time where there was the excitement and the disbelief of being at the biggest sporting competition. This time, I know exactly what to do because I have been there before so it’s not as exciting as a debut would be,” Sururu said.
Sururu debuted at the Tokyo Paralympics where she finished 12th in the women’s single sculls, clocking 14:27.48.
The 32-year-old began her campaign with a fourth place finish in the heats (13:45.50), before coming fifth in the repechage (13:14.26), to earn passageway into the finals.
Even though Sururu did not make the podium, she wrote her name in history books as the first female athlete to represent Kenya in rowing at the Olympics and Paralympics.
Nonetheless, if she could rewind the hands of time, Sururu says she would make better investments from her earnings at the Paralympics.
“What would I do differently? I would make better investments. I did not make quality investments but now I know exactly what to do,” she said.
Sururu will be skippering a 14-athlete team that will be competing at the 33rd edition of the Paralympics, set for the French capital from August 28-September 8.
Kenya will be represented in powerlifting, athletics, taekwondo, and cycling.
They will be hoping for a higher medal harvest than the one bronze they clinched in Tokyo.
