Yushae DeSilva-Andrade On Winning Award
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Boccia player Yushae DeSilva-Andrade was left overwhelmed after being named Female Athlete of the Year at the 43rd Annual Sports Awards held at the Hamilton Princess and Beach Club on Sunday [March 23].
DeSilva-Andrade delivered a remarkable performance at the Paralympics in Paris last summer, finishing fourth at the event.
She said she was overjoyed when she was announced as the island’s top female athlete of last year.
“I wasn’t expecting to win, but I prepared for it just in case,” DeSilva-Andrade told Bernews.
“I just sat there for a second; I really couldn’t believe it. My mother was like, ‘You need to move!’ It was a surreal night.
“My coach [Larry Hunt], some of my cousins, and my mom were there to support me—along with people from the Bermuda International Paralympic Committee.”
Shortly after her victory, DeSilva-Andrade received a congratulatory phone call from fellow Paralympian Jessica Lewis, a two-time Female Athlete of the Year winner.
“We talked straight away!” she said.
DeSilva-Andrade will now shift her focus to upcoming international competitions.
Her next challenge will be the Poznan World Boccia Challenger in Poland this June, followed by the Seoul World Boccia Cup in South Korea.
Yushae DeSilva-Andrade interviewed by boxer Andre Lambe for Bernews before the Paralympics
“It’s been an awesome experience so far,” added DeSilva-Andrade, who also received a Senior Achievement Award.
“I hope to keep going and making Bermuda proud.
“I took a three-month break after Paris, so my body could recover and started training again last month.”
Go, Yushae!