A BUMP in the road.
That's how Fil-Am pole vaulter Natalie Uy sees the COVID-19 pandemic as she eyes a spot in the Tokyo Olympics.
"I can't not see how far I go," the 25-year-old told So She Did. "I’ve set my goal and if I don’t give my all, I’d be so angry with myself for kind of giving up,”
Just last week, Uy finished sixth in the Acadia Invitational in Greenville, North Carolina which was organized by 2016 Rio Olympics pole vault silver medalist Sandi Morris.
She cleared 4.30 meters at the UCS Pink Panther Pit to set a new Philippine record, improving her previous mark of 4.25 meters, which she cleared to snare the gold medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games last year.
Uy, however, must clear the entry standard of 4.70 meters to make it to the quadrennial Games.
Still, there's no question about her determination as she seeks an Olympic ticket and join fellow pole vaulter EJ Obiena in Tokyo next year.
"It's just this inner desire to see what I can do, how far I can go in the sport," she said. "I cannot let myself down, all the challenges that are there along the way, this is just another bump in the road. You just have to keep going."
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