Turkey’s 2012 Female Olympians: Role
models for our youth
By: Melis Figanmese
The 2012 Olympics
were quite an event for women. As we at TPF fight for gender equality in all
parts of the world, and especially in Turkey, we look for tools on how to
educate young women and keep them focused on academics. It is a proven fact
that all students, regardless of gender, that are involved in a sport, who participate in high school athletics
do just as well academically, if not better, than non-sport participants and
are less likely to drop out of school.” (Schneider B., 2003) We can only hope these motivating
role-models will inspire more females in Turkey to pursue athletics.
The event that
brought goose bumps to most Turks: female Turkish runners, Asli Cakir Alptekin and Gamze Bulut, brought
home gold and silver medals in women's 1,500 meters, with
Alptekin winning Turkey’s first-ever gold medal in an athletics event in the
Olympics. Alptekin’s coach commented on their
victory: "When young men leave
university nowadays, they drop sport, because they’re more concerned about
their careers, but young women are taking sport more seriously; they are far
more professional."
2012
also marked the first year in history that Turkey and the U.S. sent more female
athletes to the Olympics than males: This Olympic year, Turkey sent in total 114 athletes, 66 women and 48 men. Not only were
these female Olympians strong in number, they powered in determination. Earlier
this month, TPF posted on our Facebook page about
Turkey’s first Olympic gymnast, whose dream it was to make it to London. A hardworking, strong athlete from the rural
town of Bolu, that stated “At 9, [Uctas and family] were forced from their home
by an earthquake that struck northwest Turkey. They spent a year living in a
crowded refugee camp, where she practiced simple moves — headstands and flips —
outside the tents.” (http://nyti.ms/MSzi5f)
Grit and willpower pushed her.
These
women showed Turkey, regardless of income level or where you live, sports are
an equalizer. They stand for a statement that all women of Turkey can believe
in.
"We
wanted two medals and we got them. It's like gaining two gold medals…This is
the Turkish power.” – Asli Cakir Alptekin
It’s not only Turkish power, its women’s power.
