Michelle Bromley can put 'Olympian' on her resume after getting official notice of her place on the Australian Olympic team bound for Tokyo next year.
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The announcement marked exactly one year to go until the 2021 games which would be happening right now if COVID had not forced a delay earlier in the year.
32-year-old Michelle, who has attempted to qualify for the Olympics three times previously, finally made her dream a reality when she won the top ranking in a gruelling three-day qualification event in January this year. But she was dealt a devastating blow when it was announced in March that the games would be put on hold.
Michelle, who is a Gulgong native, is among a handful of athletes who have already been given their 'ticket' to Tokyo, posing with an oversized boarding pass in a photo she posted on social media.
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Michelle said the announcement was a huge relief.
"It was absolutely amazing to finally be officially announced on the Olympic team for Australia - a dream come true. It feels like a long time since trials now which were back in January. You know, we knew that we're fairly secure but just to get that final official confirmation is always a great thing," she said.
Michelle has been playing table tennis more or less her whole life, being born into a family of table tennis players, and often practice on the kitchen wall at her home in Gulgong.
"Being a ten year old with the dream of one day becoming an Olympian, you throw your whole life into a dream that may not ever eventuate, so there's always that uncertainty nothing is certain in life and you always have to work hard and potentially your hard work doesn't pay off," she said.
"I feel so proud of myself that I was I would keep at it for as long as I did. Finally all the work has actually paid off so yes, absolutely an amazing dream come true."
Michelle has qualified for the Women's Team event and the Women's Singles and Michelle will compete for a spot in the Mixed Doubles event also at an upcoming qualification event at a date to be determined.
Michelle said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are doing everything and covering all angles to ensure the games can go ahead next year, despite the looming danger of the pandemic.
