Aysel Ozgan

Started: She took up shooting Para sport in 2004 in Giresun, Turkiye. (hurriyet.com.tr, 17 Nov 2015) Reason: Her friends encouraged her to get involved in the sport. "I was afraid to go out before [practising sports]. A lot of helpful people encouraged me to change that. My self-confidence came when I started sports. I can wander down the street and go to the park or the garden whenever I want, even without the help of anyone." (skor.sozcu.com.tr, 18 May 2017; hurriyet.com.tr, 17 Nov 2015) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Bursa Buyuksehir Belediyespor YouTube channel, 11 Oct 2023) Milestones: She became the first female shooting Para sport athlete representing Turkiye to win a gold medal at the world championships when she claimed the SH1 women's 10m air pistol title at the 2022 edition of the tournament in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (bursa.bel.tr, 12 Nov 2022; SportsDeskOnline, 05 Oct 2023) Awards: She received an acknowledgement at the 2023 Sporun Enleri [Best of the Sports], an awards ceremony organised by the Turkish Amateur Sports Clubs Confederation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Turkiye. (bursa.bel.tr, 18 Oct 2023; magazindenhaber.com, 19 Oct 2023) She was presented with the Sportsmanship Brotherhood Award at the 2022 Bogazici University Sports Awards in Turkiye. (haberturk.com, 20 Dec 2022) Additional Info: BEGINNER'S GOLD She won gold at her first competition in 2004 in Giresun, Turkiye. The result convinced her to pursue shooting Para sport further. "I entered the competition on the insistence of my friends, with the idea that there should be a female athlete in the competition. I didn't know how to shoot properly at the time. I didn't even warm up, but I came first. Everyone congratulated me and that day my journey in the sport began." (fanatik.com.tr, 03 Dec 2018; skor.sozcu.com.tr, 18 May 2017)