The heartbreaks and setbacks in the tumultuous BMX racing career of Saya Sakakibara have only served to strengthen the resolve of the 24-year-old heading into the Paris Olympics.
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The Southlake Illawarra BMX Club star was actually grateful for her latest setback at the recent World Championships - where in her own words she blew a golden opportunity to win - calling it a timely pre-Olympics kick up the backside.
After bombing in the final after showing strong form through the preliminary rounds, Sakakibara took to her Instagram to post of her latest heartbreak.
She also took the opportunity to reflect and review on what she needed to do to get things right for Paris.
"It was a great kick up the backside. Everything was going well and I was really excited for the world championships, because I wanted that rainbow jersey and honestly, I thought I was going to win," she said.
"As much as it hurt to have the loss, I know it highlighted the areas that I need to work on, so it doesn't happen again at the Games.
"It was great and I'm actually grateful that it happened, because I feel like I'm in a different spot than I was 10 weeks ago."
Setbacks are nothing new though for Sakakibara, who took an extended break from competition after her semi-final crash at the Tokyo Olympics of 2021 which left her with lingering concussion symptoms.
Her older brother Kai continues to rehabilitate from the devastating brain injury he suffered in a BMX racing crash ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
Despite all this Sakakibara continues to have belief and confidence that things will turn her way.
"I knew that even after the Games in 2020 when that heartbreak, I knew that at some point I'm going to be grateful that happened and I'm already at that spot," she said.
"So I knew that after the world's as much as it hurt, I knew that it was going to teach me important lessons and especially because that next race is going to be the Games that I've been working really hard towards.
"So in that moment, I was like, well, this really sucks and it's going to hurt for a few days, but I know that I'm gonna take away, I'm gonna break it down, I'm gonna think about what I did wrong. what I did well and what are things that I can work on and I highlighted those areas and really did work on those things.
"I feel like everyone goes through hard things, everyone goes through heartbreak, but in the end it makes us stronger people. That's just the mindset that I have."
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
