Indonesia's most accomplished weightlifter, Ni Nengah Widiasih, was seen screaming as she performed bench press heavy weights at her training gym. Ni Nengah is currently struggling with a shoulder injury as she prepares to achieve her goal: winning a third Paralympic medal.
Ni Nengah, who has competed in three Paralympics, was diagnosed with polio as a child and lost the use of her legs. She started weightlifting in primary school, where she trained with her brother in exchange for ice cream.
The athlete from Bali won bronze at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, silver at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, and received sponsorship support from well-known brands such as Toyota. This time, Ni Nengah is trying to realize her ambition to win gold in the women's 41 kilogram category at the Paris Paralympics, which will be held from August 28 to September 8.
“Weightlifting has changed my life a lot,” said the 31-year-old athlete AFP at the national training center in Surakarta City recently.
“Maybe if I hadn't been a weightlifter, I don't know, I have no idea what I would be doing.”
Widiasih said her desire to make her family and country proud was her main driving force in winning another medal at the four-yearly Paralympics.
“It's a personal target. Paris is not easy for me (because of my injury), but I will try my best,” he said.
“I will do my best for Indonesia, and for my family.”
The power of women
While male athletes dominate the overall medal tally for the Indonesian Paralympic contingent, female athletes consistently lead in the weightlifting sport.
No Indonesian male athlete has ever qualified for the Paralympics in this sport.
Ni Nengah trains with two other female weightlifting athletes who have their own medal hopes, who will be part of the largest Indonesian contingent at the Paralympics in Paris.
She will be accompanied by Siti Mahmudah, who competes in the 79kg category and Sriyanti, who competes in the +86kg class.
The Paris Paralympics will be Siti's second participation in the quadrennial event. Siti lost her left leg due to amputation.
Meanwhile, Sriyanti, who also suffered from polio as a child, has changed her profession from being a chicken noodle seller to becoming a Paralympic athlete and silver medalist at the 2022 Asian Para Games.
Ni Nengah said the achievements of Indonesian female athletes were increasingly impressive because of challenges that men would never face. She shared her experience during a recent competition that coincided with her menstrual cycle.
He felt excruciating pain in his stomach but still had to lift weights weighing tens of kilograms during the match.
“Thank God, I can handle it even though it's quite annoying. This is not something that male athletes experience,” he said.
'Nothing is impossible'
Indonesian weightlifting coach Eko Supriyanto said he was “very impressed” with the all-female trio.
But after Ni Nengah successfully lifted 98kg and won a silver medal in Tokyo, this time she had to manage her expectations because of the injury she suffered.
“We are pushing them to be able to compete for at least a bronze medal,” he said of weightlifting's chances at the Paris Paralympics, which start on September 4.
“What's important now is that we have tried our best, worked hard and been disciplined.”
He hopes that one day there will be a male athlete who will join the female athletes, who have made impressive achievements, to compete in the sport of para-weightlifting.
However, Ni Nengah, who is currently Indonesia's best weightlifter, wants the medal she won to encourage more women to start trying weightlifting.
“I hope many girls out there are inspired by us,” she said.
“Whatever our condition, as long as we are willing to try and believe in ourselves, then nothing is impossible for us.” (rz/rs)
