‘I’ll only get better’, Sarah warns Tokyo rivals
JAKARTA: Sarah was in danger of bowing out of the sport after a serious accident in 2006 when she swerved to avoid a stray dog during training.
She suffered a fractured hand but came back stronger to win the 500 metre time trial track cycling event at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.
Critics have speculated about her retirement but Sarah said she just keeps her head down and trains hard.
“I am happy with my ability and my decision to choose cycling (as a sport). And I can use this sport in my life as well,” she said.
“I don’t really look at others. I just concentrate on myself.
“I am powerful and I focus on my strengths. I just want to keep training hard and the results will come,” she added.
Sarah had to overcome anaemia, which caused her to tire easily, to become a full-time athlete in 2004, and there has been no looking back since.
As a devout Christian who studied theology, Sarah credits her faith among several factors which have helped her to overcome difficulties in sport and in life.
She had a troubled time in October 2016 after the death of her long-time coach Pu Linjun, who was often called as “the man behind Sarah.”
“Many factors, like my team, my religion, my family and my friends help me overcome problems. All their support for me is very important,” said Sarah.
“I am proud of myself, my team, my coach and my people in Hong Kong.”