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Para-athlete Karisma aims to break another world record: Her own
For Karisma, her doubts about competing turned into a Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered) moment.
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Running this far: Indonesian para-athlete Karisma Evi Tiarani holds up her bank savings book, where she says the Rp 100 million bonus will remain for a rainy day. Karisma was awarded the bonus for breaking a world record at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, UAE, (JP/Dicky Christanto)
B
eing a newcomer at the recently concluded World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, made Indonesian para-athlete Karisma Evi Tiarani nervous. She also felt that she was not in prime condition.
She found the scene at the women’s 100-meter track that day daunting. Wherever she cast her gaze, groups of experienced runners were lined up as opponents.
Karisma, struggling with her own demons, decided to lower her eyes and repeated to herself that beating her own personal record may be the best she could hope for, and that she would just have to live with that.
“I kept telling myself to stay focused, be calm and be prepared for whatever the outcome was,” she told The Jakarta Post recently.
Focusing and running as fast as she could, Karisma not only finished the race in victory, she grabbed international attention by breaking the world record with her clocked 14.72 seconds, followed by Italian runner Monica Graziana Contrafatto in second place with 15.56 seconds.
For Karisma, her doubts about competing turned into a Veni,Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered) moment.
“It is clear to me now that one of my goals should be to break my own world record. I know it will be an uphill battle, requiring more training and discipline,” said Karisma, who is the only athlete in her family, which resides in Boyolali, Central Java.
