After an outstanding performance at the Tokyo Olympics, it was definitely a must to interview the 31-year-old sprinter, Terrence Agard. Terrence was born in Curaçao and is a sprinter specialized in the 400 meters. At the Olympics he took part in the 4x400M relay, which resulted in a silver medal for the Netherlands. We received the opportunity to interview Terrence a week after the Olympics and as you can imagine, he has a packed schedule with interviews, TV shows and trainings. We are thankful he scheduled a Zoom meeting for us after an intense training session.
First thing first, how does it feel to be a Silver Medalist at your first Olympics?
“This feeling is something indescribable. It was a dream of mine since I was a young kid to be able to perform at the Olympics. During my career there was always something that made me cancel the Olympics. In 2012 and 2016 I had injuries that held me back from the sport. And after all that, being able to finally make it to the Olympics and taking home a medal is an amazing feeling and something I am very proud of. This is an accomplishment I will for sure bring with me for the rest of my life.”
When did you start running?
“I started running when I was nine years-old. I competed at several local (in Curaçao) and international competitions. I started winning most of these races and for this reason I got scouted. I also started to take the sport more seriously and in 2014, at the age of 24, I left to the Netherlands.”
You had a serious car accident in 2015. Can you tell us more about this?
“Before that accident, I had another accident in August of 2011 where I lost a finger and I had to sit out for about eight months and couldn’t make it to the Olympics in 2012. After that, in September 2015 I was involved in a car accident in the Netherlands where I broke my neck and couldn’t make the Olympics in 2016. I had to wear a neck brace for three months and I was told I wouldn’t be able to run anymore. This was a really tough time for me. I had panic attacks, depression and felt like I wanted to give up on everything because I didn’t believe in myself anymore.”
What helped you get through this?
“Three months after the accident I went to Curaçao in order to spend time with my family. I wanted to give up on the sport and didn’t feel like doing anything anymore but I remember my family telling me that they do believe in me and to not give up. That touched me and because of them, I was able to take the step to keep pushing. It was also a blessing that the rehab was unusually quick. I would definitely say that being in Curaçao, having my family support, being able to go for a swim every day to loosen up the muscles and being in the warm weather boosted my rehabilitation process a lot. I was able to start walking faster than expected. In February 2016, I started to visit SDK (Sentro Deportivo Kòrsou) to just walk laps around the track and step by step I was building up and after a couple of weeks I was already jogging around the track. This is when I realized that there is still hope and that I could still compete in the sport I love. In April I was already competing in a race in the US and in July I was selected to join the team to compete at the European Championships in Amsterdam.”
After so much uncertainty on whether the Tokyo Olympics would happen or not, how did you prepare yourself for your first Olympics?
“About eight months before the Olympics, we were told by the IOC that the Olympic games would definitely happen this year. Although there were many rumors that the Olympics would be cancelled, I stuck to theIOC statement. If the IOC says it’s happening, it’s happening. I have to make sure to stay ready. Participating at the Olympics was also always a dream of mine. I wasn’t able to go in 2012 and 2016. So, the only thing I had in mind was participating in Tokyo. Because of this, there was nothing stopping me from being ready. It was all about the positive mindset.”
How was the experience at the Olympics with all the restrictions surrounding Covid?
“It was really strict. In order to enter Japan, we had to fill in so many papers and do a lot of testing. In Tokyo, we had to stay in a bubble/village but you were only allowed to stay at the village for the time of your competition. So, if your competition took five days, you were only allowed to be there for those days and as soon as your event is finished, you had to leave the village. We stayed two weeks before at a city outside of Tokyo in order to get used to the climate, practice, etc. When it was time to compete, we went to Tokyo and joined the bubble with the other Olympic athletes who were there at that time. In the bubble we were not allowed to leave our room or floor without a specific reason. When you had to move around, you were always accompanied by personnel. It felt like we were living in a robotic world. We didn’t have the chance to tour around or watch other events. Our days were spent at the hotel and at the track. That’s it.”
You are competing on the biggest stage, what is the mindset before the race and did you expect to perform like this?
“Of course the mindset is always to stay concentrated on the goal and be the best you can be. Honestly, our goal was to reach the finals. When we reached the finals, we had Liemarvin who was fit again after running a couple of races prior already. Before the finals I did some calculations on what we can possible run and where we can possible finish. I came with a time that can possibly result in a silver medal but at the same time it could also make us come in sixth place. All the countries had great times which meant that anything could happen. At the end of the day, we had to give our 110% which resulted in a time much faster than anticipated. We broke the Dutch National record by 5 seconds!”
Looking back at what you have accomplished, how does that feel?
“Emotional, really emotional! After all the setbacks, the hard times, it feels amazing to look back and say that all those struggles were worth it. I remember at the end of the race how I fell down on my knees and just started crying because I had to get it all out. My mind went immediately on the times I wanted to give up and seeing your name on that board as second place was just really emotional. Those tough times made me become the person I am today and I am grateful.”
Although you ran under the Dutch flag, you represented our island too with five other runners from Curaçao. How does that feel?
“It feels amazing to represent our island on such a big stage. We had a really tight group and we all supported each other. I have been training with Liemarvin and Angela for quite some time too. It feels amazing when you have a group of people that helps each other. This is important to grow together and to become better as a team. We created a fun environment. During the race you can also see that all of us gave our 100% and at the end we were all happy and hugging each other because we all knew how hard we worked for this moment. I am really proud to be part of such a group that you can trust and learn from. Hopefully this is a group that can stay united and that in 2024 we can reach the gold medal together.It is also important to show how Curaçao and Holland can unite. Combining Curaçao and Holland in sports can definitely result in big things for both countries. Curaçao has a lot of talent and together we can accomplish a lot of significant things.”
You also had one of Curaçao’s legends on the team, Churandy Martina. What does this mean to you?
“Churandy has definitely a great influence on us. He gives us valuable advice about dealing with certain moments. This certainly helps when you are racing on such a big stage. He accomplished a lot and we ,as the younger generation, consider him as someone who opened doors for us. We want to achieve as much as he did. It was cool to have these meaningful experiences with him, especially at his last Olympics.”
What is next for Terrence Agard?
“We are still in season, until mid-September. I have about 2 or 3 more competitions to go. Then, I have a short offseason and in October we start again with training and we will prepare for the upcoming season that will have its first competitions in February/March. The mission right now is to reach the World Championships in 2022 which will take place in the US. And of course, qualify for the Olympics in Paris 2024. Hopefully we can get a gold medal in Paris, that will be my goal for sure!”
