The road from Malta to Tokyo has been long and arduous but for Yazmin Zammit Stevens, nothing short of a dream come true as she becomes the third Maltese person to qualify for this year’s Olympic Games in Japan.

She will be the first female weightlifter to represent Malta at the Olympics. 

The calling to professional sport came late to the 28-year-old, who began competing six years ago. But, with focus and determination, she has made it to the big leagues.

“This was the most absolute dream I could even imagine and aim for in my entire athletic career,” she said. 

“I set my sights on it six years ago. I had no idea what it would take. When you’re starting out, going to the Olympics was like a far off finish line but I made smaller targets along the way.” 

Yazmin said she started small but, with every new achievement under her belt, first national records, then small international events, then European and eventually world championships, she went through one after the other with the strength, elegance and precision that comes with practice and absolute dedication to the craft. 

“I qualified for every multiple sport game that I was eligible to and in the last two years the possibility of Tokyo became more and more realistic,” she said.

“You have to manage your expectations. I continued to work for it like I have always done but for it to actually become a reality is exhilarating.

“I have dreamt about this for so long and to finally have my dream come true is beyond words.”

I put my life on hold and gave everything that I had to the game

Yazmin is the third to qualify for the Maltese delegation to the Olympics, along with shooter Eleanor Bezzina and badminton player Matthew Abela. 

She was able to qualify through a Tripartite Commission Invitation, which offers top athletes for under-represented countries a chance to qualify for their sport. The Tokyo Olympic Games offered 104 places in 16 sport.

With only one spot available in her category, Yazmin beat out every other competitor from the other countries vying for a chance to compete in the Games in Asia this summer. 

The journey for her has been pedal to the metal and rife with emotion as she kept up the pace to be in her peak physical condition, with the uncertainty of a disappointment still in the back of her mind. 

“These past five years I gave it my all to be the best and earn my place because I knew only one person could be chosen in my weight class,” she said.  “And while I never knew if what I did was enough to maintain my results over the four-year process, the work I had to put in as a newer athlete was intense.”

“After graduating from university, I dedicated my life to the sport. I put my personal life on hold and gave everything that I had to the game.”

“I’ve been lucky to be able to keep this up throughout a global pandemic and even compete internationally in Italy, Slovenia, Latvia and Romania. It’s such an intense experience and I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

The recipient of an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship for the past three years, she credits the support of the Maltese Olympic Committee, Sports Malta and the Malta Weightlifting Association with backing her at every step of the journey to the Tokyo Games. 

“They have all helped me with funding and had their backing in the entire cycle.

“They have never let me down in either training or competition and without their support I would not have made it this far,” she said.

The poster girl for starting to train at an older age, she encourages anyone not to let go of their aspirations just because the moment is not opportune. 

“When I started out, someone aiming for the Olympics at my age was practically unheard of. But I thought, ‘I am tough and I am young, so just go ahead and do it’.

“What comes next is exactly the same as I’ve been doing for the months leading up to Tokyo... head down, eyes forward and concentration full on.”