I was happy to see the end of 2023. It had been the worst year of my fledgling sporting career, a season plagued by setbacks. A tricky knee injury meant I was in pain all the time. Mentally, emotionally, I was also hurting. To cope, training had to be scaled back. I could not push myself, and was forced to do just the bare minimum.

Athletes live each day to push themselves so they get better. So, for me, each day felt like torture. The Paris Olympics seemed too soon, too out of reach. In my mind, having a go at making the 2028 Games felt more plausible. But when 2024 came along, like the start of a new chapter, things started to take a turn.A few promising results early in the season lifted hopes, and I’m now on the cusp of realising a childhood dream.

Physically, my body is still not where I want it to be. But mentally, I’m healing and I’m learning. I now know in moments of despair to stay rooted in my ‘why’ — a pure love for table tennis that led me this unlikely path in the first place. I never set out to be a history maker. I was just a dreamer, hoping to make it as far as I can.

Next stop: sport’s grandest stage.