Watch: The Turkish paralympic swimmer propelling herself towards the 2024 Games
Since a young age, Sevilay Öztürk has found solace in swimming. Now 21, Sevilay spares no effort as she strives towards becoming a World Champion.
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00:00When I first entered the pool, I was very afraid of drowning.
00:04I'm glad I started, I'm glad I didn't quit.
00:08I'm glad I came to this sport.
00:12And I have a separate world under the water.
00:15I always look under the water like this.
00:19It relaxes me so much.
00:22There are small fish under the water.
00:25I always felt like a fish when I got into the water.
00:29Now the fish are not afraid of me.
00:32My name is Sevilla Yusuf, I am 21 years old.
00:34I am a national athlete.
00:46I don't have two arms.
00:48I use my feet for everything.
00:50This is how I live my life.
00:52I'm always like this.
00:54I was the 7th athlete to participate in the 2016 Paralympic Games.
00:58I was 13 years old there.
01:01I was the 3rd in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020.
01:08I was so happy to learn that I am getting good grades in the World Series.
01:15Because it was my dream to go to Paris.
01:17In order to qualify for the Paralympic Games in Paris,
01:20our athletes have to win a certain number of medals
01:23by participating in international competitions during the season.
01:28I won the medals I needed to participate in the Paralympic Games.
01:33Sevilla participated in the World Championships in Porteix in 2022.
01:38I won two silver medals there.
01:40I won a medal in 50 back and 50 butterfly branches.
01:46Sevilla is a ambitious girl.
01:48She has to get out of bed at 5 a.m.
01:50While people are sleeping at that time,
01:52Sevilla gets out of bed, gets ready and comes to the pool.
02:01If you want that thing so much, you have to take a step.
02:08If you don't take a step, no one can get anything in this world.
02:12I come to the training six days a week.
02:16We have developed a technique to increase performance.
02:20We detect where the power is lacking.
02:23We develop that area with dark exercises and dry laps.
02:27And we do activities in the pool to make the athlete completely strong.
02:32Accordingly, we develop the lack direction.
02:43SEVILLA SPORTS CENTER
02:47There may be a big difference between a disabled person and a disabled athlete.
02:53But an athlete like Sevilla needs to work harder to close that gap.
03:00I think all muscle groups need to work twice as hard.
03:07We use various materials to make the movements with the arms.
03:11We cover it and plan it that way.
03:14We use resistance bands, step boards, plates, etc.
03:19We use fitness equipment.
03:27I have a lack at a certain point.
03:30But I learned that the obstacle is never an obstacle when I am a life reactor.
03:38SEVILLA SPORTS CENTER
03:40But I never said to myself,
03:43you don't lack anything.
03:46In fact, you have more.
03:48Because what you show is your efforts, your own strength,
03:51your self-confidence and holding on to life.
03:57SEVILLA SPORTS CENTER
04:00I was a shy kid.
04:02I would always run away from people, hide.
04:05I would go into a place when I saw a person.
04:09For 6-7 years, I lived my childhood with my parents.
04:15But after I started swimming, this is how my life turned out.
04:19I also started to say that I am like other people.
04:25He is a human being, I am a human being.
04:31But now I am 21 years old.
04:33I have been living alone in Gaziantep for 4 years.
04:39And now I need very little things.
04:42I can do everything I want by myself.
04:45For example, I couldn't go to the market and shop.
04:47I can do it myself.
04:49I can go shopping and do it myself again.
04:52I even started to cook my own food.
04:55I also got medals and this became my profession.
05:00I said, I did it. Yes, I did it.
05:10My goal in the future is to change the color of my medal in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
05:17I want silver and gold in its color.
05:20There is no event as proud as seeing a sprinter succeed.
05:27Cevrilay is a role model.
05:29He is a well-known athlete.
05:32He couldn't make it to the top.
05:35If Cevrilay works harder, there are many years ahead of him.
05:40He will be even more successful.
05:42A person needs to have self-confidence and belief.
05:45I am very confident in myself and I believe that I will always do it.
05:49I will overcome everything.
05:51Because in this life, you only move forward.
05:53You only walk.
05:54You only need to succeed, always.