The strong swimmer and olympian Apsara Sakbun is focused on reaching her health and wellness goals. On a slideshow on Instagram of Apsara enjoying her summer, eating delicious food, spending time with loved ones, and living life, she captioned it “Best!!! Summer!!! Ever!!!” Apsara balances having a good time, while staying dedicated to her goals. Here’s what she does to stay strong and in great shape.
She recognizes the sacrifices and challenges her and her family have had to overcome for her to get to where she is now. “No words can describe what these past couple of weeks have meant to me. My father survived the Khmer Rouge genocide of the 1970s in Cambodia, where nearly two million civilians were executed. My mother, the youngest of 13 children, grew up in poverty in Jamaica, and walked five miles to school every day and dreaming of moving to the United States to become a nurse. My parents moved to the US in hopes of a better life and to give their children more opportunities than they were presented with as kids,” she said on Instagram. “To swim for my father’s country has meant everything to me. I can’t thank the Khmer swimming federation, NOC of Cambodia, Coach J, Queens University, and many more for helping me along the way. Thanking God every step of the way because this still doesn’t feel like real life. 🇰🇭❤️”
In a series of photos on Instagram, it shows Apsara completing the Cleveland Marathon, smiling and proud. Captioned on these celebratory photos, she said “26.2 reasons to do it again!!” She enjoys running, and has done some half marathons, as well, like this one in Charlotte, North Carolina captioned “13.1!! so much fun!🕺🏽🎉🍻,” on Instagram. According to Better Health, “regular physical activity such as running can significantly improve mental health, self-confidence, healthy ageing, and quality of life.”
She works hard to reach her goals. “Turning my Olympic dreams into a reality! I am so excited to share that I will be representing Cambodia at the 2024 Olympic Games! Proud of my heritage and am counting down the days to showcase Cambodia on the Worlds stage. Now let’s get back to work!💪🏾🌏🇰🇭,” she said on Instagram.
She’s thankful and appreciates all the time with her team, coaches, and support system. “I will always cherish the teammates, coaches, and lifelong memories swimming has blessed me with! This past week I was honored to swim on the National team of Cambodia at the 2023 SEA Games. It wouldn’t have been possible without all the coaches I’ve had over the years,” she said on Instagram. “I would like to thank the Khmer Swimming Federation and the community for their support at the games this week. This was a memory I’ll never forget❤️🇰🇭.”
She knows when to celebrate and indulge on occasion, like with a beautiful pink heart shaped cake and a glass of wine on her birthday, as seen in this slideshow of pictures of her looking confident and happy on her 23rd birthday. She kept it short and sweet, with the caption on Instagram “cheers to 23!! 🍰🥰🥂🎀.”