Bermudian boccia star Yushea DeSilva-Andrade has set her sights on this summer’s World Championships in Seoul after clinching a dramatic gold medal at the Birmingham World Boccia Challenger.
DeSilva-Andrade rebounded from an opening-match defeat in the five-player round-robin stage to reel off three consecutive victories, showcasing remarkable composure under pressure.
“The Birmingham World Boccia Challenger was a great competition for me,” DeSilva-Andrade said. “My first game didn’t go as I anticipated, but I kept on playing the game the way my coach and I had planned.
“Even when I lost that first game, a feeling came over me that I couldn’t explain. I just knew I would be okay.”
The tournament tested the Bermudian’s resilience, forcing her to mount critical comebacks in both her third and fourth matches after falling behind in the early ends.
“All I needed to do was remain calm, dig deep, and execute my shots to the best of my ability, and I did,” she added.
“Winning this gold medal didn’t just make me happy that I won, it taught me a very important lesson. If I just stick to the plan, even when things get a bit uncertain, it will work out in the end.”
DeSilva-Andrade paid tribute to her support team ahead of her upcoming trip to South Korea, thanking her new teammates, friends, coach, and mother for their guidance on what she termed a “rollercoaster of a journey.”
