With the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics we’re very excited to see all the young champs shining and achieving greatness there!
We did a mini interview with two Egyptian athletes who are going there, to get their insights about the preparations for the Olympic games and know more about them, their sports life. Meet Haydy Morsy and Seif Asser!
Seif Asser Sherif- trampoline gymnast
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of sports?
Yes, I like playing video games and travelling a lot
2. Which strengths do you believe you have that make you a great athlete?
My strength is that I have high coordination and high discipline and a great amount of dedication to the sport I love.
3. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gained from your coaches?
The best piece of advice I’ve gained from my coaches is that I have to trust them, no matter what they say even if I think it’s wrong because they always know better than the athlete.
4. What’s the biggest challenge you face in any competition?
The hardest challenge for me in any competition is that I feel pressured and stressed so I always have to find a way to re-balance myself and be in control of my emotions, because the sport depends 50% on the body and 50% on the mind.
5. How do you prepare yourself mentally?
I do some visualization of my routines; I imagine myself going into the competition and doing those routines from my own perspective and also from the judges’ and the spectators’ perspectives.
6. How does it feel like to be participating in Tokyo 2020?
Competing in Tokyo 2020 is dream come true, it has always been a dream of mine, even in the beginning when I was just jumping. When I heard that this time there’s going to be an African participation of this sport, the trampoline, in the Olympics, it felt like a dream come true, because I’ve always wanted to compete with the national team and reaching the Olympics! So it felt like a dream come true.
7. Tell us briefly about the preparations for competing there?
So far I’m preparing by staying in a camp and daily training with my coaches. The routine consists of intense trainings, we train hard then we do some recovery just so we’re prepared in the best way possible to compete there.
8. Are you planning to visit specific spots in Japan?
I don’t think we’re going to be able to go anywhere outside the Olympic village and the venue of the competition because it’s actually restricted by the Japanese government, but I’ve actually been there before, I love the Shibuya square, I also really liked everywhere else but the Shibuya area was my favorite.
Haydy Morsy- modern pentathlete
1. Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of sports?
yes of course, I love reading books, and traveling… I am always grateful for exploring different cultures and countries.
2. Which strengths do you believe you have that make you a great athlete?
well… I am a very stubborn person and that’s why I always like to achieve and reach what I want… but honestly, I owe my family a lot because I couldn’t have done it without their time, effort, and support.
3. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gained from your coaches?
“ hard work always pays off” so as long as we work hard and do our best, we will always find results and it doesn’t matter when, but we all know and believe that it will come one day! So its all about TRUSTING THE PROCESS.
4. What’s the biggest challenge you face in any competition?
My biggest challenge during competitions is when it’s not my day in one event, but I have to stay calm and focused, so I don’t lose the rest. It’s always hard to control yourself during hard times and situations, and that’s what I work on with my mental coach, cause it takes time especially in this kind of sports, like Penta.
5. How do you prepare yourself mentally?
Pentathlon is a very tough sport because it’s 5 different disciplines, so we have to be mentally ready and tough especially that our competitions last for more than 6/7 hrs, so we can’t let it go in the middle, we have to be focused 100% on our performance and target, so I have my own life coach who’s always supporting and having my back, and not only during competitions but also here during training and tests. We work very hard on my mental health because we believe that this is what makes the difference between professional athletes.
6. How does it feel like to be participating in Tokyo 2020?
I am very excited to compete in Tokyo after the postponement, especially that Tokyo will be my 3rd Olympic Games, we all went through hard times because of COVID, and it’s time To represent my country and make my family, friends, and everyone proud BECAUSE IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE FOR ME TO REPRESENT EGYPT 🇪🇬
7. Tell us briefly about the preparations for competing there?
I will travel on the 29th of july to Tokyo, I will have only 5 days till I compete there, so 5 days of training camp so we can get use to the weather, jet lag and everything. I will have all my coaches there with me, a little bit sad that my family won’t be able to come because of the restrictions, but I hope that I make them proud as always!!!!