In kayaking, there is only one goal: get to the finish line straight ahead, as fast as you can. Races are over in minutes, even seconds. But in my case, reaching my target has been a slow burn. It took me four Asian Games and 14 years to earn the medal I had wanted more than anything. After missing qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics by just 0.067 seconds, it took me three years to finally earn that place. So my journey in a sport where kayakers are separated by thousandths of a second is probably best summed up as a lesson in patience.

As athletes, we are well acquainted with “process” – trusting it, sticking to it, and executing it. But knowing it well doesn’t mean it’s easy to do. Still, giving up was never a thought I entertained. I always knew I had more in me to give, and there was another finish line ahead within my reach. Over time, that goal became the Olympic Games.

Patience is not easy for athletes. But after years of convincing myself to “stay the course”, I now know that everyone’s journey looks different. My road to Paris has required me to paddle harder and longer than I thought I could, but I now see the start line that I’ve worked so hard to be at.

When I first started kayaking in 2009, I could not have foreseen myself competing one day on sport’s grandest stage. But I guess when you just put your head down and persist in paddling, stroke after stroke, you eventually get where you want to go.