Standing atop the podium, Asian Games champion Shanti Pereira tells herself: I've arrived
Just days before her 200m victory, Shanti Pereira ended Singapore's nearly 50-year wait for a track and field medal at the Asian Games with a silver in the women's 100m.
Asian Games 200m gold medallist Shanti Pereira at the victory ceremony in Hangzhou, China, on Oct 2, 2023. (Photo: SNOC/Kelly Wong)
HANGZHOU: Standing atop the podium at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium as Majulah Singapura rang out, Shanti Pereira took it all in with her eyes shut.
“I was just soaking it in … actually being on that podium and listening to the anthem being played at the Asian Games,” she told CNA on Tuesday (Oct 3), less than 24 hours after from her historic 200m Asian Games victory.
“Just living in that moment, I guess, just realising the significance of it. It really means a lot, not just to me, but to just everyone that was there and back home also.”
On Monday night, Pereira clocked 23.03s to win the women’s 200m final. This was Singapore’s first athletics gold medal since 1974, when Chee Swee Lee won the women’s 400m.
China's Li Yuting took the silver with 23.28s and Bahrain's Edidiong Ofonime Odiong came third at 23.48s.
“(I was just) coming to terms to that … Even when I stepped on the podium, I could feel the tears coming,” recalled Pereira.
“I was really just trying to hold it in, try not to ugly cry,” she recalled with a laugh.
As the national anthem neared its final strains, there were several nods of the head from Pereira.
“Towards the end, I was like: ‘Yup, yup, I did it, I’m here’,” she added.
THE WAY THE SPORT WORKS
A day later, the Singaporean has come to terms with what she has achieved.
“I think it has (sunk in). I’m just thinking about the race, every now and then, different pockets of time throughout the day and still can't believe it, but I guess it was after the anthem that it sank in,” said Pereira, who will feature in the women’s 4x100m relay on Tuesday night.
Along with several members of the athletics team, she will return to Singapore on Thursday.
It has been a phenomenal meet for the Singaporean after what has been a phenomenal year.
In May this year, Pereira became the first Singaporean woman to win both the 100m and 200m events at the same edition of the SEA Games; then followed that up with a sprint double at the Asian Athletics Championships in July.
In August, Pereira became the first Singaporean to make a World Championships semi-finals after a stellar showing in the 200m. She also met the qualifying mark for the event at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Days before her gold, Pereira ended Singapore’s nearly 50-year wait for a track and field medal at the Asian Games, after she clinched a silver in the women’s 100m.
After her scintillating victory late Monday evening, there has been an outpouring of support and praise for the 27-year-old from Singapore.
“It feels great and I can feel the pride coming from everyone back home,” said Pereira.
“For those who have followed my journey, they really just saw that come out in that race. And for those that maybe aren't very aware, they're just happy to see this Singaporean just standing on this kind of stage.”
It is apt that Pereira describes it as a “journey”.
Over the years, she has experienced the highs - winning the 200m at the 2015 SEA Games, competing at the Tokyo Olympics, as well as the lows - dealing with injury, self-doubt, critics.
Pereira has always been open about her struggles but is equally vocal in her thanks and praise for those who have stood by her.
“These have been the people that have stuck with me through it all, and just never stopped believing in me, even though I might have stopped believing in myself maybe at certain periods of time,” she said.
“They are the ones that helped me put things in perspective when I needed them.”
When her parents Clarence and Jeet finally met her later that evening, a shared embrace said it all, said the sprinter.
“Very little words were needed. Because they just you know that it's really been an amazing year and just an incredible journey,” she recalled.
“I really do owe it to all these people that have been with me through it all. They got me on this path, helped me change my mindset and perspective and everything, to make this feat a lot more sweeter.”
And Pereira has matured. She is an athlete able to deal with expectations and pressure, an athlete made wiser by the “journey”.
“I just kind of realised that you can't really get rid of this kind of thing, it just comes with the territory,” she said.
“When you achieve great things, it's just inevitable that there are going to be expectations on you, pressure, all these kinds of things. And champions really need to find a way to deal with all of it, because this is just the way that the life is, the way the sport works.”
When asked what message she would give her younger self, the 27-year-old answered sagely.
“Don't be so hard on yourself. And it's a journey for a reason, it's not always going to be highs every single season, every single year,” said Pereira.
“It’s something you need to accept and realise and in your own way also appreciate.“
