Sri Lankan athlete Sachini Perera dreams of competing again - in pictures
Sri Lanka's debt crisis has forced national pole vault record holder Sachini Perera to take a job as a housemaid in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Perera exercises in Safa Park in Dubai to stay fit as her aim is to set international records in the pole vault. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Sri Lanka's 'Vaulting Queen' started her career as a gymnast and represented her country in international games as a teenager. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Perera is happy to get time off from work as a housemaid in Dubai to train outdoors and at the beach. Chris Whiteoak / The National
She hopes to be the first female athlete from Sri Lanka to win an international gold in the pole vault. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Her Dubai employers allow her time off to exercise in the gym where she follows a training schedule sent by her coach in Sri Lanka. Photo: Sachini Perera
Perera has broken national records in the pole vault since 2018. Photo: Sachini Perera
Perera sets aside time to stay fit after work in a Dubai home. Photo: Sachini Perera
She is undefeated since 2018 with a pole vault national record of 3.71 metres. Photo: Waruna Lakmal
