Big smiles, lots of hugs and kisses, bunches of flowers, a cake and champagne, but also some tears of emotion, marked Ana Cabecinha's reception at the Clube Oriental de Pechão, this Wednesday.
The Algarve marcher and her coach Paulo Murta were welcomed by dozens of people in this village from Olho, the land that saw her grow as an athlete, on her return home after the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she achieved an excellent 6th place in the competition. 20 kilometers march, the best classification ever in Portugal in this modality.
A welcome that the athlete did not doubt she would have "regardless of the result", given the support, which was followed "through social networks". The strength that came from Pechão turned out to be one more incentive when it came to facing the difficulties that arose in a long way that ended with crossing the finish line, at Rio2106.
“Believe that your strength and energy got there. All the support given to me before the competition was very important", assured Ana Cabecinha, addressing the many people who made a point of being present to receive it "and many others, who I know are not here because they are working".
“I felt I had to give everything, not only for myself and for the work I've done in these four years, but for everyone who was here and made the effort to be here watching my competition on a weekday. It is for them that this 6th place makes sense», assured the athlete to the Sul Informação, on the sidelines of the session.
«I was no longer used to having such a complicated year, with ups and downs, like this last one. I was used to regular years and ending up big. 2016 was not like that, it was a very difficult year. I had accidents along the way», recalled the athlete from Algarve.
This tide of difficulties followed Ana Cabecinha to the Olympic Games. «I couldn't warm up for the race. I had a horrible pain in my back and I just cried and cried, it was very complicated. But it never crossed my mind not to compete. Fortunately, everything went well. It wasn't this time [that I brought a medal], but I feel like I fought for it. More year, less year, I know that the medal will appear, because I already deserve it», said the athlete from Oriental do Pechão, through tears of emotion and with a choked voice.
«I never considered not being on the starting line, much less not crossing the finish line. In any case, I had to cross the finish line», he reinforced.
«During the competition, I started fighting, I felt happy to be there and then I enjoyed the competition. That's what my coach tells me whenever I go to the call room: the key is that you have fun, that you don't do it as an obligation. That's what I did and it was a joy to finish in 6th place», he said.
«I dedicate this result to my family and my coach Paulo Murta, who are my pillars, to my club, to the people of my land and to my mother, who unfortunately has not been with us for five years. It is for her that I continue to fight every day, because I made her a promise that I want to keep”, added Ana Cabecinha.
The next Olympic Games are taking place in Tokyo, in 2020, and Ana Cabecinha expects to be there. Currently 32 years old, the athlete trusts in her abilities to reach the next Olympics at a high level, “with even more experience”, in order to fight for the medal she has been chasing since 2008.
See the photos of Ana Cabecinha's reception:
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues|Sul Informação
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