One of Guyana’s leading ladies in the realm of table tennis, Chelsea Edghill, is keen on being more than a passing feature at the upcoming Pam American Games in Lima, Peru.
Edghill, who is the lone Guyanese table tennis player to qualify for the games, is set to make her debut at the event a memorable one in that it is her goal to medal.
“Heading into the Pan American Games is new territory for me and for Guyana and the mindset is to play hard, play with no fear and to give of my best,” the young woman revealed to Stabroek Sports adding that… “It’s everyone’s goal of getting a medal at the games.”
Bubbling with confidence, Edghill who is the 2018 Senior National Sportswoman-of-the-Year, an accolade she received after she picked up the 2018 Caribbean Under – 21 title, is currently in Portugal – her second stint there – fortifying her preparations before her voyage to Lima.
“It was always my plan to return to Portugal… but in August. But, because I qualified for Pan Ams, it became important to return sooner to prepare properly for the tournament,” she said.
The Caribbean Under- 21 champ added a bit on the experience of doing the preparatory rigours in the European State, where she disclosed that her stint provides an opportunity to elevate her craft.
“Playing in Portugal is giving me the opportunity to play with world-class professional players and is exposing me to new styles and techniques and training methods that I didn’t know existed. Practising here is giving me some of my confidence to compete at my highest level.”
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old former student-athlete has also been recording academic success away from the sport.
She recently graduated with a BS in Chemistry from Lindenwood University in the United States. Quizzed about her plans moving forward, Edghill pointed out to Stabroek Sports that her goal, which is13 years in the making, is to go pro.
“My plan for after Pan Ams is to play table tennis full time with no distractions of school.
“…I am now finished with university and I have new responsibilities and goals that I have to accomplish. The work didn’t stop there. I would like to continue my studies but at the moment I’m taking some time to pursue a dream that’s about 13-years-old,” she said.
