Twice burned Dilara transforms her pain with championships

Dilara Sultan Arpaci (19) from Antalya city, burned twice when she was the age of 4 and 6 from her waist to her face. She lost her father to cancer at age of 10, now her mother is undergoing cancer treatment but she managed to transform her pain into sports. Dilara became a national athlete trying to forget her pain with success by winning new championships.

Dilara burned from her waist to her neck at the age of 4 while her twin brother had played with a lighter. Her face burned at the age of 6 as a result of accidentally pouring boiling water on her head. She lost her father to cancer at the age of 10. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer and started treatment. National athlete Dilara Sultan Arpaci, who tries to forget her childhood sorrows with the medals she won in martial arts, dreams of completing her success story with a happy ending like in movies.

Dilara, the child of a Russian mother and a Turkish father, spent all childhood years in burn injury treatment with 18 operations. She couldn't go out because of her scars and treatments, she became irritable and aggressive. Her mother encouraged her to kickboxing so that she could transform her aggression into sports. Dilara Sultan Arpacı won the gold medal at the age of 10 in her first Turkish Championship, which she attended in the 10th month of kickboxing training. Dilara lost her father to cancer in the same year, took a break from sports.

I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS A WORLD CHAMPION ATHLETE

Dilara started sports again at the age of 12 at the request of her mother. Dilara regained the title of 'Kick Boxing Champion of Turkey' in the championship she participated in the same year. Dilara, who achieved different degrees in the national championships she participated in for 3 years, started muay thai four years ago, which is known for its hard-hitting fights among martial arts. Dilara won her silver medal at the 2018 European Muay Thai Championship and then she won the gold medal in the same tournament in 2019. Dilara, who helps her mother during the treatment process and trains with her trainer Yasin Urlu in Antalya Sports Hall for the rest of her time, aims to become the world champion. Describing her dreams, Dilara said: "When I was a child, I sold corn for my father's cancer treatment expenses. I would like to be remembered as a world champion athlete. I want to cheer my mother up with my successes."

FOOTAGE

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Dilara interview