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MALTATODAY 21 March 2021

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12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 MARCH 2021 NEWS LAURA CALLEJA MALTESE Paralympian Ma- ja Theuma is one of several athletes whose training pro- grammes have been turned upside-down by a second soft lockdown in Malta due to the rising number of COVID-19 in- fections. History has repeated itself for the 20-year-old swimmer, who was preparing herself for the upcoming Paralympic Games: in March 2020, the first lock- down saw the closure of both indoors swimming pools and the national swimming pools. Now the national swimming pool has been closed down once again with new public health re- strictions in place, despite some sporting activities still going on. The last few months building up to the Paralympic Games were crucial for Theuma to keep in shape for her competition. "March and April, in particular, were out crunch-time with the first set of qualifying time dead- lines kicking in, meaning that it was one of the last opportuni- ties to show the strides Maltese Paralympians had made," Theu- ma, who was born with achon- droplasia, said. "The harsh reality is that hav- ing a total ban on organised sports meant that we could not record an official time that is recognised for qualifying purposes. I was meant to take part in the Sheffield and Lig- nano World Para Swimming World Series in April 2021, but of course, having all the pools closed meant that I can no longer train to compete." Theuma says that even were she be allowed back in the pool on 11 April, she would have lost out on intensive training, put- ting her at an unfair competitive disadvantage against peer elite athletes – even competitions in Malta are cancelled, giving Theuma little chance to qualify for the Paralympic Games offi- cially. "In the meantime, we had to adapt and improvise our training sessions to overcome the current situation by doing more intense land workouts, and swim in the cold sea water to keep our fitness level high. Being born with achondropla- sia limited me from finding the right wetsuit, and I had to con- tact a local factory for a custom- ised version for me." Theuma, who joined the na- tional Paralympian swimming team at 15, said the postpone- ment of the Paralympic Games last year was a big shock and a disheartening moment. "With- out doubt, other athletes and I felt hurt and let down by the authorities and conflicting mes- sages signalled, which translat- ed into a disregard of ensur- ing that Maltese Olympic and Paralympic Games hopefuls are given the necessary support and peace of mind that their efforts will not go to waste," she said. Theuma pointed out that Mal- ta was now in its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and questioned the wisdom of cer- tain decisions taken. "Where is the pro-active action plan we hear so much about? The reactive knee-jerk reactions did more harm than good and left many of us in the sporting community confused about the situation. It is even more dis- heartening when you read in the media that others sought to take advantage of loopholes, whilst others were given the green light, such as the national football team, which was giv- en the green light to continue training to qualify for the World Cup 2022. It continued to put us down," she said. Theuma said all elites should be allowed to continue with their training regime without disruptions. She also said it affected her mentally as well, as all the hard work and sacrifices put into long and late hours of sessions and studies and trying to cope with the pandemic seemed to be all in vain. "I train 12 times a week, morning and evening, weekends included, just like many of my sporting peers who are fighting tooth and nail for their goals and aspirations to achieve the best possible for our country." While Theuma agrees that new measures had to be taken to stop the COVID-19 spread, amendments could be made to safeguard everyone and allow them to train. "The national pool, for instance, may leave one/ two empty lanes closed between one lane and another to decrease as much contact as possible. Masks can be worn at all times when not practising a sport, and regular swab tests should be taken. Elite athletes and their coaches, for the time being, may also be put into quarantine/ bubbles and train within their bubbles," she sug- gested. Pandemic puts on hold Paralympian's dream to shine in world swimming contests "We had to adapt and improvise our training sessions to overcome the current situation by doing more intense land workouts, and swim in the cold sea water to keep our fitness level high" Maltese Paralympian Maja Theuma is one of several athletes whose training programmes have been turned upside-down by a second soft lockdown in Malta due to the rising number of COVID-19 infections

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