Fiji Finals senior girls 100m sprinter Younis Bese believes with a right mind-set any athlete can win and break records.
Bese still holds the Coke Games record in the senior girls 100 metres, clocking a time of 12.16s in 2015 while running for Gospel High School.
The record still stands nine years later, but the Fijiana 7s flyer is not ruling out any surprises this year.
She believes an athlete with determination, the right attitude, and plans their runs strategically will win come the Fiji Finals.
Bese also pointed out that off-season work, self discipline and control are important factors that determines an athlete’s performance on the track come game day.
The Fiji Finals starts this Thursday.”I know anything is possible come Cokes. I was clocking 12.2 during the zone and Athletics Fiji-sanctioned competitions but I will not rule out any surprises from the current runners,” she said.
The champion sprinter, who is with the Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s team in Singapore, also shared her pre-run ritual, one she recommends to the current crop.
“I went on a very strict diet of more protein and less carbs. Stayed away from junk, juice but I drank healthy smoothies, Bu (coconut) juice and a lot of water. I would recommend this as it will test discipline and self control.
“I started with a very intense off-season training to ensure endurance before embarking on speed work and this involved long road and hill runs.
“I trained twice a day, every morning before school and after school including Saturdays. I also did weights and gym twice a week with the rest of the sessions on the tracks.
“Had a killer session of running six 600m on track with intervals of five minutes between runs,” Bese said.
Bese is also the current record holder of the senior girls 200m with a time of 24.68s set also in 2015.
“Rocking up on Cokes day with the right frame of mind and determination, anything is possible.
“Being focused. Being able to shut out the noise from the crowd with total concentration on yourself, the track before you and the finish line. Making sure to have a perfect start bearing in mind the plan to run the race and how to execute or run the first 40 metres, then the next 40 and then the final 20 or they could go for 30-30-40,” she added.
Some of the favourites to take out the girls 100m this year are Tirisiani Kiliraki of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School, Naita Domitila of Adi Cakobau School, Iva Fifita of Suva Grammar and Teniti Tokinivalu of Khalsa College in Ba.
Domitila of ACS clocked the fastest time from the Triple N Zone with a manual time of 12.47s.