A “significant” ankle injury that occurred just two days before she was scheduled to compete at the Olympics in Paris presented a terrible situation for a Nepali swimmer who had the entire world rooting for her this week.
Duana Lama, 18, whose mother Mary is from Castlehyde, Fermoy in East Cork, had trained diligently for the 200-meter freestyle competition, but an injury at the last minute almost forced her to withdraw.
After wrapping up her heat today, Duana shared the news on Instagram, writing: “I wasn’t able to share earlier that I sustained a significant ankle injury just two days ago due to media restrictions.” I was caught off guard by this unexpected setback and wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish my race. In the hopes that I would be able to swim today, the last two days have been a whirlwind of emotions and numerous trips to the doctor for physiotherapy.
“I sincerely apologize to everyone I may have disappointed today, especially my family members. I ran my race with everything I had, and I was proud of myself for finishing given the circumstances. It’s never easy to compete while injured, but your encouragement gave me the willpower to endure the agony.”
Despite the pain and the 48 hours of uncertainty surrounding the most important event of her life, Duana finished the race, demonstrating an amazing level of dedication to her sport and perseverance.
She declared that in order to give herself enough time to heal and return to the sport stronger than ever, she will now take a break from it and represent her country once more.
The swimmer from Nepal may not have made it to the Olympics in Paris, but her perseverance has won over many admirers both at home in Nepal and in Cork, where her mother lives. Many will be hoping to see her compete in the pool in Los Angeles in four years.