Eating Sobosis Becomes A Tip For Para-Food Athletes Mahda Aulia Calms Herself Before Competing

Illustration. Burnt soda. (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Women's para-flood athlete Mahda Aulia has one way to calm down before the match by eating sausages. This was also done during the 2024 National Paralympic Week (Peparnas).

"If you eat sausages, it feels calmer because the focus is on taste, on food," said Mahda when met by the West City Field, Solo, Saturday, October 12, confiscated by Antara.

The 19-year-old said that sausages, especially those with chicken flavors, have been her favorite food since childhood.

The habit of consuming sausages was carried away until he became a para-peanan athlete.

"The point is I have to eat before competing, especially eating sausages," said Mahda.

With the "ritual" sausage, Mahda, who strengthened the Papua Province contingent, managed to get many achievements, one of which was the 2024 Peparnas gold medal from the women's individual 70-meter recurve open number.

This achievement helped Papua become the overall champion of the 2024 Peparnas para-panahan by collecting six gold, three silver and one bronze medals.

According to Mahda, at Peparnas 2024, he felt the burden because the elite status attached to him demanded to be the best. The status of the elite at Peparnas 2024 is aimed at athletes who have participated in the ASEAN Para Games, Asian Para Games or Paralympics.

"There must be pressure to win because I am elite. To overcome this I pray and listen to directions from the coach, then eat sausages so I don't get nervous. I dedicate this Peparnas gold medal to the parents, coaches and administrators of the NPCI (National Paralympic Committee of Indonesia-ed) Papua," he said.

Mahda Aulia is one of Indonesia's disabled athletes who has flashy achievements. She once won one gold and silver medal at the 2022 ASEAN Para Games, one silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games and gold at Peparnas 2021 Papua.

In the future, Mahda hopes to be called back to participate in the national training camp (pelatnas) and strengthen Indonesia at the 2025 ASEAN Para Games.

He himself is happy to see the development of para-panahs in Indonesia and assesses that the quality of athletes is getting better from year to year.

"At Peparnas 2024, for example, I have seen many new faces. They are still young and good (with the ability-ed)," said Mahda.