KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian athlete Tasha Mae has announced that she is switching from beach volleyball to rowing in a bold move to pursue her dream of becoming an Olympian.
Tasha said she made the decision after realising that the sport she has loved since childhood may no longer be the route to the Olympic stage.
The switch, she said, was entirely her own choice and not a reflection of any problem within the sport.
“It broke my heart when I finally opened my eyes and realised that although volleyball has brought me this far in life, it may not be the vehicle to get me there (Olympic Games) anymore.
“I just want you to know that this decision has nothing to do with people in the volleyball world. I’m extremely grateful for Malaysia volleyball and everything they have done for me, and this was purely my own decision,” she said in a recent video shared on Instagram.
About her journey in rowing, Tasha said it only began in January this year, and that the warm welcome and proper support from the rowing community had made a major difference in her transition.
She also revealed that she recently competed in her first international regatta and returned home with medals.
“In fact, last week I competed in my first-ever international regatta with Next Level Rowing thanks to Coach Marc, and I had the best time of my life. And I even brought home some hardware with me!” she said
Despite acknowledging how difficult the Olympic target may be in a new sport, Tasha said she is determined to give herself the chance to try.
“But I told myself that even if I have a 0.00001 per cent chance of making it, I’m still going to try.
“Because what’s worse than not trying is living with the regret that I never got to see how far I could actually go,” she said. – BERNAMA
