With her mind set on defending her gold medal from the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games and with Tokyo 2020 in sight, Peruvian Karate star Alexandra Grande is preparing herself for the challenging year ahead.
"When I found out that the Games would be held here in Lima, I felt such joy. Imagine competing and defending Peru with the entire gym supporting you and then singing your national anthem. It's such motivation and so important for all of us athletes," Grande told Panam Sports.
Winning the gold medal at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games launched her career towards new heights. Plus, being top-five in the world and having Lima 2019 and
Tokyo 2020 as her next challenges have filled this athlete with enthusiasm and it has given her the strength to train non-stop to achieve the goals she has set for herself.
"2019 will be an intense year. In a few weeks, I'll be traveling to Paris to start accumulating points for the Olympic qualifiers, and from then on, I won't stop.
I want to be the best of the Americas once again in Lima 2019, so I am working extremely hard for this," Grande expressed.
"It is spectacular. The venues and the Village have advanced rapidly. They're cool and nice. Some sports will have venues with world-renown infrastructure. This will make way for us to be able to host high-level competitions such as South American or even Pan American competitions and that makes us extremely happy," the Toronto 2015 gold medalist said.
"We are extremely excited here in Peru. Everyone is already asking about tickets and when they will go on sale because no one wants to miss this celebration. The athletes are very motivated. You can feel such a good vibe. I want to invite all athletes to get ready for this event here in Lima. We will have great competitions, the highest-level venues, one of the most delicious gastronomies in the world, and warmth from the Peruvian people that will astound you,"
Grande concluded.
(END) NDP/DTK/MVB