Rome, Italy, March 26, 2020 – Linda and Sylvia Nwakalor are two sisters with the same dream, that of competing together for Italy at the very highest level.
Sylvia is likely to be the first to realise her Olympic dream, but Linda is hopeful that they could feature together at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The 20-year-old Sylvia was part of the Italy squad that won silver at the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Japan in 2018 and bronze at the 2019 CEV European Championship.
“I think that the Olympics are the dream of all athletes,” Linda told Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. “For us Nwakalor sisters we also want to experience the Games.
“It is our guiding light and we are doing everything we can to fulfil our dreams. Every day I am working with this aim and I am also hopeful I will be able to see my sister fly to Tokyo with Italy.
“I am hopeful overall due to the effort and dedication we have put in every day, for years.”
Linda is on course to follow her elder sister into the national set-up and is already thinking of making her Olympic debut at Paris 2024.
The 17-year-old plays in Serie A2 as a middle blocker, rather than an opposite spiker like Sylvia.
She has already tasted success as part of the Italy team that left the Egypt 2019 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U18 World Championship with silver.
“An Olympic adventure was our biggest dream,” she said.
“It pushes me to work even harder to reach my own dreams, hopefully at Paris 2024.”
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