Chances are you’ve never heard of her, nor of the sport in which she competes.
Anna Korakaki reached the summit of her sport and she took the entire Greek nation with her.
Yes, indeed this young woman, Anna Korakaki, became the first ever Greek woman to wins two medals at the same Olympic Games. Within the space of a few days, she conquered it all at the Rio Olympics. After winning bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol, she added some distance, taking aim this time from 25 meters and in the process transforming this into her own “golden” summer.
You “filled up” the screen as you filled up our hearts.
And you can see it in her eyes. You can see it in the way she talks. It dawns on you when you find out that she was training in a shabby location because Greece does not have an adequate shooting range to practice for 25 meters.
Straight shooter and on target.
Her aura belies the strength that she forged on her lonely trip. I feel a different kind of respect for athletes that don’t compete in the glamorous spectator sports, that captivate our emotions and dominate our television screens.
The “golden” pistol. Thank you Anna Korakaki, because we walk a little bit taller today from pride.
Thank you Anna Korakaki because real gold doesn’t need any glitter.
