Patrícia Silva crossed the finish line with a bronze medal around her neck. She’d just smashed the Portuguese national record in the 800 meters at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China. But it wasn’t just about the medal – it was about the person she was running for. On the back of her bib, she’d written her grandmother’s name, Maria do Rosário.
A family legacy
Patrícia comes from a family of athletes. Her parents, Rui and Susana, and her grandfather, Carlos, were all talented in their time. But Patrícia wasn’t running for them – she was running for her grandmother, who she knew was with her in spirit. “I just wanted to take her with me,” Patrícia said, emotional. “I know she’s not here with us anymore, but I felt her presence.”
Patrícia’s victory was all the more sweet because she didn’t get off to a great start. She struggled to keep up with the leaders, but she didn’t give up. With 100 meters to go, she was exhausted, but she found the energy to overtake two rivals and cross the line in 1:59.80 minutes – a new national record.
A turning point
Looking back, Patrícia says it was her mental toughness that made the difference. “I used to get discouraged if I didn’t start well,” she admits. “But this time, I focused on my own pace and waited for the others to tire. When they started to slow down, I knew I could catch up.” It was a risky strategy, but it paid off. Patrícia passed two rivals in the final stretch, beating Swiss athlete Audrey Werro by a hundredth of a second.
Patrícia’s decision to focus on the 800 meters rather than the 1500 meters proved to be the right one. She’d finished seventh in the European Championships just two weeks earlier, but this time, she was determined to give it her all. The gold medal went to South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso, with Ethiopia’s Nigist Getachew taking silver.
For Patrícia, the bronze medal was more than just a prize – it was a tribute to her grandmother, who inspired her to push beyond her limits. As she stood on the podium, Patrícia knew that she’d made her family proud, and that her grandmother was smiling down on her.