Twenty-three-year-old Turkish athlete Berna Tut is setting her sights on a milestone in her career – aiming to clinch the title of European Champion for the first time after securing a gold medal at the European Wushu Championships.
Having fueled her ambition with a silver medal at the 31st World University Summer Games held in China in August, Tut spoke with heightened morale and motivation as she prepared for the upcoming European Championships.
The young wushu sensation disclosed that her rigorous training regimen, conducted in her hometown of Ordu, included a demanding camp program leading up to the event scheduled in Istanbul from Dec.14-17.
Reflecting on her noteworthy achievements of world and European third-place finishes, Tut, competing in the 56 kg. category, affirmed her readiness – both physically and mentally – for the European Championships.
Expressing her aspirations to return triumphantly to Ordu, she said: "In the 2018 European Championships, I came back as the third-place finisher. Now, I really want to win the gold medal in the championship. I've worked hard and dedicated myself to this goal. I want to reap the rewards of my efforts; I believe in myself."
In a candid reflection on her relentless pursuit of success, Tut emphasized: "An unsuccessful athlete can become successful, but a successful athlete must always strive to maintain that success. I work with this mindset and put a lot of effort into it. I've always set success as a perpetual goal for myself. I take pride in achieving my goals step by step."
Tut acknowledged former national wushu champion Hüseyin Dündar as her role model, stating, "He is our only world champion, and I consider him my idol."
Drawing inspiration and guidance from her sister Veda Tut, who is not only a wushu national team coach but also an accomplished athlete, Berna Tut expressed gratitude for the valuable lessons she has gained.
"My sister has proven herself in wushu. I consider myself very fortunate in this regard. Learning from one of Türkiye's coaches is truly wonderful. Her efforts have a significant impact on me. I want to build on the successes she has achieved and work toward realizing both my and my sister's dreams," she said.
Berna Tut's coach, Savaş Çakmak, exuded confidence in her ability to return from the championship with a medal.
"Berna will represent our city and our country in Istanbul in the best possible way. I wholeheartedly believe in this," he said.
Additionally, Çakmak mentioned that along with Berna Tut, Mehmet Zahid Türkcan from Ordu would also be competing for a medal in the same championship.