She also made history with her podium finish.
Whenever she was struggling, Sakura Alforte would imagine herself with a medal hanging around her neck.
It happened on Thursday.
Alforte struck a bronze medal in the Asian Games women’s individual kata at the expense of Chinese Taipei’s Chien Hui Hsuan.
The 20-year-old kata specialist scored 41.90, narrowly outperforming her counterpart by 0.7 after the hostilities at the Linping Sports Centre.
“I believed in myself. Even in training, I was imagining myself getting a medal. I’m really happy I was able to and I can show it back home,” she said.
What’s more, she was the first Filipina to do so since 2002.
But she didn't seem concerned about history stuff. What’s important is that she is bringing home a bronze mint.
“I didn’t know it was 21 years,” she said. “I’ve been working hard towards this. I was really hoping I could deliver a medal for the Philippines. Tough pool but we made it.”
While she basks in this glory, the SEA Games gold medalist will later shift her focus to the World Senior Karate Championships two weeks from now.
“I think the Asian Games is a good tune-up for that. I can feel myself progressing so I would like to continue this progress until the world championships,” she said.
(With reports from Belle Gregorio, One Sports)
(CF)