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Nafissatou Thiam Quotes
born 1994 Belgium
Nafissatou "Nafi" Thiam (born 19 August 1994) is a Belgian athlete specialising in multi-event competition. She is the first athlete with three multi-event gold medals at the Olympic Games, winning the heptathlon at the 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics.
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20 quotes
Outside of athletics and university I haven’t got much time, but for the next few years UNICEF really want to focus on education for kids.
I would say, just be yourself!
Even when you think the body has reached its limits, it can be pushed a little further.
I always remind myself to relax and enjoy the moment and that competing at major championships is why I am involved in the sport.
For me, social media gives me the chance to share and give greater exposure to athletics and to get more people interested in the sport.
I have met a lot of people through athletics, I have made friends for life. In competition you experience a new sensation that you would never experience in any other walk of life
I don’t really follow trends, but I would say find something that fits you and your body and that you feel comfortable in.
I also felt this in the javelin, but managed to throw a PB of 53.13m, which proves the body can be pushed further than you think.
After the Olympic Games I didn’t know really what more I could do.
The days are long, especially at major championships, so I would say make sure you do the absolute minimum necessary and relax as best you can between the events.
I'll be 21 in Rio, and of course I think about it, but I prefer to stay focused on the goal for each year, so this year, Zürich and Beijing next. Anything could happen, just one thing at a time.
It was stressful, everything was very serious, It was the moment I really understood that athletics was what I wanted to do.
At first I was really afraid because I didn’t want that.
My mum told me to expect everybody on the road to do stupid things, so if you think and anticipate this to be the case, it reduces your chance of an accident.
I know some girls might not find it very feminine, but I think everyone can find a sport that really fits them and their person – athletics is great because there is something for almost everyone.
I went to Gotzis and I did something amazing and realised I can still improve a lot and I can still do great things in the years to come. It has given me a lot of confidence.
It is from my mum who says, ‘asking for help, if you need it, is not a failure’. I used to try and work a lot out on my own, but asking for help sometimes is not such a bad thing.
It's hard training in Belgium in the winter, There's just one indoor track, but it's really far away [154km away, in Ghent], so we have to train outside all winter. And when it snows, that's not always easy.
I was really surprised with my achievement there and I was thinking maybe I’m 21 and maybe I have reached my maximum already. Maybe I will never be that good again. There were a lot of questions and doubts on my mind.
I think for young athletes, girls and boys, sports can teach you a lot of things about life. Dedication, hard work, to go after your goals – those are all things that aren’t just useful in sports, but in school, at work and in your personal life.
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