Young Mum Sets Olympic Goals
Giving birth earlier this year did not deter Sally Yee from achieving her goal.
The 20-year-old continued to train through her pregnancy before giving birth in April.
Sally, who attended Chinzei Gakuin High School in Japan, returned last year.
She came to attend the Olympic qualification but then got stuck in Fiji due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And despite not having enough games, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) confirmed the Oceania qualification spot for Yee to compete in the women’s singles.
This year will be her second Olympic Games.
She made her debut at 15 as the baby of Team Fiji at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Speaking from Oita, Japan, her mother now coach and manager, Harvi Yee, said they had settled in well with the rest of the Team Fiji contingent.
“She is so excited and looking forward to the competition and at the same time missed her family back home, especially in this time of pandemic,” Harvi said.
Training
“The people of Oita City are very kind and friendly and training is going well.
“We’re thankful for the equipment that arrived on time. This will help prepare Sally well also.
“The training hall is too big, well-equipped with all resources and only the two of us training. “No one else is allowed entering the hall until we finished.
“We had two training sessions a day, morning and afternoon and a session with the psychologist after training. All good and well- planned,” she added.
Harvi indicated that Sally was familiar with the weather in Japan after being there for more than three years.
“So far the update here is still the same, everyone stays in their own bubble, daily updates from OCHA, health register, having meals on time.
“Maintain restrictions and protocols, carry on with training and so on.
“This is the routine up to game day as we are still in Oita prefecture. We will be leaving for the Games Village on July 19.
“So, we just follow our daily routines, having meals within our own bubbles, we go training and then come back to the hotel.
“There’s nowhere else to go but to keep ourselves safe.”
Sally said she is there for a reason and has a mission to accomplish.
“I thank my family for their support and words of encouragement.
“Those words encourage me to stay strong and to continue my journey and focus on what I’m here for.”
Sally secured an Olympic scholarship for Athletes preparation for Tokyo 2020 from the International Olympic Committee in partnership with the Japan Olympic Committee.
This enabled her to receive education, board and Table Tennis training in Nagasaki, Japan in her bid to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games.