Turkish sport shooter Kaya's journey from facing earthquake shock to winning at 2024 Summer Olympics

By Huseyin Dogru and Musa Samur

ANKARA (AA) – Having undergone the shock of Türkiye's worst twin earthquake in February of last year, Turkish sport shooter Rumeysa Pelin Kaya remained determined to win bronze not only at the World Cup in Qatar less than a month later, but also at the 2024 European Shooting Championships in Italy last week, saying if you have talent, do not give up sports.

Kaya shared her journey from the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes to winning in Qatar in 2023 and the Summer Olympics in 2024 with Anadolu in an exclusive interview.

She discussed the challenges she faced 20 days after the earthquakes struck her hometown of Kahramanmaras in southern Türkiye when she was competing in the World Cup in Qatar to finally winning a bronze in the women's trap at the 2024 European Shooting Championships in Italy last week and getting a ticket to the Olympic in Paris.

Kaya began shooting in middle school, thanks to her teacher who guided her. "You have talent, don't quit sports," she said of her teacher advising her.

"We went to the shooting range with officials who came to our school as part of the ministry's project, and the adventure began there in 2014. I took part in my first national competition in 2015 and placed third in Türkiye. In 2024, nine years later, I’m here with an Olympic quota," she said.

The earthquake was the only subject she could not easily talk about. “Normally, I get training in Kocaeli. Two days before the earthquake, I went to my hometown to participate in a competition commemorating Kahramanmaras' liberation. While I was thinking of seeing my family and training when misfortune stuck me there," said the 23-year-old.

"Twenty days after the earthquake, Qatar hosted the World Cup. Our ministry's general director and the president of our federation both contacted us and asked us to participate in the event," she said.

"I told them that I couldn't leave my family, that our pain was fresh, that I didn't want them alone, and that I didn't want to be alone. We were distracted, and all training, competitions, and plans were canceled.

“They told me: 'Get away from there, we don't expect a medal… go and get yourself together.' It felt so great to get away, and we made it to the final in Qatar. Twenty days after the earthquake, we were able to carry on as if nothing had happened."

The earthquakes on Feb. 6, 2023, hit 11 provinces in Türkiye, killing more than 50,000 people.

- 'When I won I felt all the emotions together'

Kaya said she experienced very complex emotions when she won bronze and an Olympic quota in Italy.

"It was an extremely emotional moment. It was a moment when I wanted to cry but couldn't when I cried unexpectedly without anything happening, and when I felt all of my emotions at once," she said.

The Turkish athlete, who is said to have accomplished something difficult and is now aiming for a gold medal, adds, "It is extremely difficult to get a quota and a medal in Europe. Achieving this made me and the entire team happy. I believe that the shooting sport paved the way for our country. I'm hoping we'll have even better goals. We will top this off with an Olympic medal and a quota for the 2028 Games. Why not get a medal in Paris? I hope it's gold."

*Writing by Selcuk Bugra Gokalp