When news of Covid-19 first surfaced last year, Saisunee Jana, a 2020 Paralympics gold medallist in wheelchair fencing, intuitively felt it would only postpone the mega sporting event for the physically and mentally challenged in Tokyo by a few months.
Unbeknownst to her, the wait would stretch to what would turn out to be a year, dotted with moments of opportunity and epiphany.
While the 45-year-old is over the moon that the Paralympics have finally been confirmed for August, she confessed the prolonged delay had put her on an emotional rollercoaster as she earns her bread and butter from such sporting meets.
While hard knocks in life have made Saisunee tough as nails, Covid-19 was unprecedented.
Physically challenged due to a motorcycle accident at the age of 17, Saisunee's portfolio is filled with impressive sporting achievements in both epee and foil fencing divisions, including gold and bronze medals at the Athens 2004 Paralympics and regular podium results at the regional Fespic Games and World Championships, all of which have made her country proud.
Coming from an impoverished background, it has been her athletic talent that has enabled Saisunee to single-handedly bring financial stability to her family.
It is the financial responsibilities that she carries on her shoulders that made the uncertain future of the 2020 Paralympics throw her for a loop.
"The prize money for a gold medal is 6 million baht, so a lot was riding on the event for me when we were told the event might not even happen," remarked the fencing maestro. "At the time, I was winding down after four years of training for the Paralympics and had my eyes set on clinching my third Paralympic gold medal."
Saisunee has vivid memories of how she has struggled to adapt to the new normal as her entire training moved online and travel bans forced authorities to cancel competitions she was supposed to attend prior to Tokyo.
In retrospect, she took the news of Covid-19 especially hard because her focus for four years was to compete and win at the Paralympics and with that on the back burner, she felt her entire life as an athlete had crumbled from beneath her.
National wheelchair fencing gold medallist Saisunee Jana has clinched top accolades at the Paralympic Games and World Championships in her star-studded career. Photo: Bkk Post Archive
After a month of ranting and feeling sorry for herself, Saisunee changed her mindset, opting instead to count her blessings in the midst of a crisis.
She was able to get her fighting spirit back -- the one that propelled her out of poverty in Chiang Mai years ago to success as a national athlete.
She recalled how fortunate she felt at the fact that the Sports Authority of Thailand [SAT] continued to pay her a daily per diem of 600 baht to continue training.
"I had to quickly get out of the depression I was in. I was left with just SAT's monthly allowance to support my family. It was really difficult financially to stay afloat but by training myself to look at the overall situation in a positive light, things became more bearable."
During the first three months of social distancing, Saisunee said athletes were encouraged to train in their home province. Since she has a plot of land in Phrae, she decided to temporarily move her family there.
"Besides being thankful for the income I was receiving from SAT, I found the land I had purchased a while ago but had done little with allowed me the opportunity to farm, something I never felt I had the passion for.
"I began growing vegetables and fruits, which was enough for my family, and I sold the leftover at the open-air market. I really saw the value of owning my land for the first time. Family support also played a pivotal role in my ability to stay focused on my training for the Paralympics."
Saisunee said one of the revelations that came from this bitter-sweet experience was the need to keep one's mind positive no matter the circumstances.
She told herself that while the Paralympics were the ultimate goal, there were other events to look forward to and thus she had to train hard to achieve success no matter the event.
Developing a positive mindset in the midst of chaos helped her focus on what really mattered. By taking it one day at a time, Saisunee soon realised that she had a lot to be thankful for.
"The pandemic taught me several lessons. One of them was the need to save money. It is not that I am a spendthrift but this past year has taught me to save on little things like cooking at home instead of going out to eat.
"Another area in my life that I often overlooked was appreciating my roots and my provincial home. Rural folks such as myself easily get accustomed to the glitz and glamour of city life, which often makes us hesitant to return home.
"Covid-19 has changed this perception for me. I no longer need to wait until retirement to see the importance of returning to my family's farming roots and practising the self-sufficient tradition that is part of Thai culture."
