GIRARD de LANGLADE MPALI Aya

General
CHILDHOOD TRAGEDY
She lost her parents in a boat accident during her childhood, which she says motivated her to become a swimmer. "On July 28 2011, as a family, we boarded a ship heading for the Gombe lighthouse, towards Pointe-Denis [Gabon]. Only a few minutes after departure, our boat began to take on water. Strangely enough, I was very calm, despite the cold. We started to swim, swim and swim. Exhausted, we arrived on dry land at 19:30, a three-hour swim. I believe that this painful episode forged, despite my seven years, my mind and my will to swim and to always move forward." (medias241.com, 05 Feb 2020)

TRAINING PREPARATIONS
She does not expect to progress far at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo due to her lack of access to elite training facilities ahead of the Games. "I will not pass the first round. I have to face swimmers better trained and experienced than me, knowing that they train in better conditions. I have not been able to train properly since I had to train in a 20m pool instead of a 50m pool." (gabonmediatime.com, 07 Jul 2021)

PARIS 2024 FOCUS
She says she is planning on using the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo as experience ahead of the 2024 Games in Paris. "Tokyo is a springboard for me. These Games will allow me to prepare for the next Games, the Paris 2024 Olympics. For the Paris Olympics, I will be 20. Long before, in a year I will continue my studies abroad. Therefore, I also intend to take advantage of my stay to register in a swimming club and train properly to prepare for Paris in better conditions." (union.sonapresse.com, 01 Jul 2021)