Despite her lukewarm performance in the women’s cross-country race on Tuesday, which saw her end 36th overall out of 38 riders, Namibian mountain biker Michelle Vorster says she has no regrets about her display in Tokyo as she got to live her dream.

This ongoing Olympics was her second participation after becoming the first-ever Namibian female to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games cross country held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She finished 26th overall that year.

Vorster said the race on Tuesday was not easy, given the hot and humid weather conditions in that country which made it quite difficult for her to thrive. “A blink of an eye and my Olympics is over. Not an easy day, neither the conditions nor the outcome I had planned but honestly, it will be a dishonour to every moment of my cycling career if I base the full experience on this one single moment. Sometimes, the weight of my own expectations are way too heavy,” she posted on her social media platforms.

Vorster said the Olympics will remain an enormous thing for her, having competed at two events – Rio and Tokyo, and she will forever be grateful for the opportunity to represent Namibia at such a prestigious event.

“It may seem like it doesn’t affect me, but inside there brews a storm. I am here today; I lived to experience the Olympic Games twice in my life and it was absolutely wonderful. The Olympics to me is a big thing. Never did I think I would ever experience it.”

She then thanked her family for the support.

“There are so many who supported me and I am very grateful to everyone, but no one supported me more than my husband and my three beautiful children.  Their commitment and sacrifices to a dream I chased are not measurable. I love them so much and I know they are proud, but not more proud as what I am of them.”

 - mkambukwe@nepc.com.na