JAKARTA - Indonesian chess player, Medina Warda Aulia, had an easy journey to the 2025 Thailand SEA Games which resulted in one gold medal, one silver medal, and one bronze medal for Indonesia.
The struggle to bring home the medals was experienced by Medina when she was seven months pregnant with her first child. He was nauseous before competing, but everything could disappear when he was in front of the chessboard.
"Just before the match, there was a feeling of nausea, but once I played I was no longer nauseous because I was focused on the match," Medina said in a statement received.
Medina has a simple, but effective way to overcome this condition. He always asks for the help of his teammates in the chess team to prepare coconut water before competing.
He consumed the drink while in the waiting room before the match started. In addition, there are also chocolates and sweets that are also relied on to help relieve nausea.
Medina's decision to appear in the 2025 SEA Games has also been through careful consideration. He consulted with a gynecologist and was declared safe to compete.
Support also flowed full from the family and fellow athletes (national training sessions) who were always ready to help during the preparations for the match. However, the real struggle actually happened long before the Thailand SEA Games began.
Medina underwent a national service period and a high-discipline sparring from Monday to Friday. He even drove himself from his house to the national service until there was a heavy phase that made him have to rest for a week.
"At that time I was really tired and had to really rest," said Medina.
Medina got gold from the ASEAN Chess Rapid Women Quadruple, silver from the FIDE Chess Rapid Women Double, and bronze from the Makruk Chess Classic Mixed Quintuples.
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