Interview with Sportswoman of the Year Lindy Leveau-Agricole-‘I don’t want to let myself, my sport and my country down’ |03 February 2010
When she lifted the brand new Sportswoman of the Year title during Friday’s 26th Sports
Firstly, she became the first sportswoman to retain the title and secondly she won it for the fourth time after matching weightlifter Janet Thélermont (now Georges) on three victories in 2008.
“I do well with the idea that I don’t want to let myself, my sport and my country down,” Leveau-Agricole told Sports Nation just after her crowning.
In a league of her own, javelin specialist Leveau-Agricole, whose previous title victories came in 1996, 2005 and 2008, can now only be compared with the nation’s most decorated sportsmen.
While she has equalled former middleweight boxer Rival Cadeau’s (now Payet) four wins, in 1989, 1993, 1994 and 1995, Leveau-Agricole trails by one victory laser sailor Allan Julie – a five-time former Sportsman of the Year whose triumphs came in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005.
“Is it true I trail Allan by one win? I didn’t have the slightest clue about it. If that’s the case, I’ll make it my duty to match his total. I also believe that it’s a great achievement for a sportswoman to be crowned the best four times,” added Leveau-Agricole.
The 31-year-old, who had a predilection for technical events at a very young age and took on javelin – an event which young girls usually shun – is ready to conquer during the 2010 season.
“I’ve already qualified for the Commonwealth Games (in New Delhi, India from October 3-14) and the African Senior Athletics Championships (in Nairobi, Kenya, from July 28 to August 1) and my goal is to win a medal in both outings.
“This will give me a good opportunity to retain the Sportswoman of the Year title for a second year running for three wins in a row and a total of five triumphs. I’m geared towards the idea of getting a fifth win.
“Good results go hand in hand with hard training, and I’m ready to get down to doing some serious stuff to get the results expected of me. I have to work hard in training because I don’t want to disappoint myself or anyone. I like the winning feeling,” she noted.
The only Seychellois to win a gold medal in the sports category of the Jeux de la Francophonie – she has in fact won it twice, in Niger in 2005 with 53.92m and in 2009 in Lebanon with a games record of 57.48m – Leveau-Agricole added that her wish is to see more Seychellois girls and young women take up sports.
“Doing sports is great and you can achieve a lot in life if you concentrate on becoming the best. Seychellois women have a lot of potential and I know they can achieve great things if they put their minds to it,” said Leveau-Agricole, who first represented Seychelles in 1995.
Although the bubbly Leveau-Agricole may have broken the Seychelles javelin record of 57.86m in 2005, she remains hungry for more success as her motivation drives her on.
Among the many titles she has won are the javelin gold medal at the 11th African Senior Athletics Championships in 1998 in Senegal, javelin silver medal at the 12th and 16th African Senior Athletics Championships in 2000 (Algeria) and 2008 (Ethiopia), javelin bronze medal at the 15th African Senior Athletics Championships in 2006 in Mauritius, javelin silver medal at the Ninth All-Africa Games in 2007 in Algiers, Algeria, javelin gold medal at the Seventh Indian Ocean Island Games in 2007 in Madagascar, javelin gold medal at the fifth and sixth Jeux de la Francophonie in Niger (2005) and Lebanon (2009) and javelin gold medal at the Southern Region Senior Athletics Championship in Botswana.
She also holds the javelin records in the junior (45.43m) and youth (36.90m) categories and discus best marks of 45.84m (senior) and 36.32m (junior).
G. G.