Sierra Leone-US based athlete Maggie Barrie retires from competitive athletics (By Alpha Kamara)
Sierra Leone US based athlete Maggie Barrie retires from the competitive sport. Barrie announced her retirement on social media with emotional words. “I’m crying as I write this. Those that understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go behind pursuing a dream with your whole heart will understand this emotion. Of finally accomplishing your goal and deciding it’s time to move on. Track & Field was the air I breathed for 17 years since I was a little girl. The only dream I ever had was to be an Olympian. It didn’t happen in the way I imagined, but I still accomplished it,” she wrote.
“Those that understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go behind pursuing a dream will understand” Barrie
Barrie ran for her parent’s home country of Sierra Leone during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. She trained for the 400 meters but because of clerical error she was put into the 100 meters category. She came second in her first heat and moved on to the next round, where she finished seventh, failing to move to the final. She was applauded by Sierra Leoneans both at home and abroad including the US where she resides till her retirement.
“It was a bittersweet moment. To finish my Olympic race and just feel in my mind, body, and soul that I was done. That I had no more to give. Done with this amazing, whirlwind life of being a pro athlete,” she said.
Barrie said Track & Field gave her once-in-a-lifetime experiences, enabled her to travel the world and be coached by amazing individuals. “It taught me how to be brave when no one believed in me and how to stand tall when a whole country was counting on me to represent them. I’m so thankful to God for this experience;” she added.
Maggie Barrie promised to life her happy life from now onwards and commended all her fans that have been supporting her throughout. “I’m ready to start my new chapter;” she ended.
Barrie’s 20201 Olympics story ended with joy in the US as his fiancée greeted her at the airport with a wedding proposal. The unexpected event was covered live by the US media. Click link to watch https://youtu.be/fSzHNeeyCQg
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