Public Relations of UPNVJ – A student of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jakarta (UPNVJ), Renasti Pratiwi, a student of the Nursing Profession Study Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, has recorded a brilliant achievement by winning a gold medal and a bronze medal in the Shorinji Kempo sport at the 21st National Sports Week (PON) 2024 which took place in the Aceh region at the Harapan Bangsa Stadium (opening of PON XXI) and the closing of PON XXI in the North Sumatra region at the North Sumatra Main Stadium, September 14 to September 20, 2024.

The National Sports Week or commonly abbreviated as PON is the largest multi-event sporting event in Indonesia which is held every 4 years. The implementation of PON this time is the first time where PON is held in two host provinces, namely Aceh and North Sumatra. The implementation of PON XXI/2024 Aceh-North Sumatra competes in 65 sports, 87 sports disciplines, 1042 match/competition numbers and will be held on September 8-20, 2024. The opening of PON XXI in the Aceh region will take place at the Harapan Bangsa Stadium and the closing of PON XXI in the North Sumatra region will be at the North Sumatra Main Stadium.

This PON competition is a competitive and prestigious multi-event event because the athletes who can compete in PON are the best athletes from each province and have passed and successfully passed the qualifying round held a year earlier, namely in 2023.

In the Shorinji Kempo sport itself, 25 provinces participated with a total of 284 participants who had previously passed the PON qualifying round which was held in September 2023, where the DKI Jakarta team participated in 10 PON match numbers and managed to contribute 7 medals, namely 2 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze.

UPNVJ Public Relations had the opportunity to conduct an online interview with Renasti, in her interview, Renasti shared a lot about her experience, "For me, being able to be part of a team representing the province of DKI Jakarta is already an honor with a great mandate, it means that we are given the trust of the people of Jakarta to compete and fight for medals for DKI Jakarta. Moreover, in the previous PON I won 1 gold and 1 bronze so I have the desire to be able to maintain this achievement and thank God in this PON XXI I am still trusted to be able to contribute 1 gold and 1 bronze for DKI Jakarta", said Renasti proudly

"To get to PON, my team and I have been training for approximately 2 years, where 1 year was for the preparation of the PON Qualification Round and a year for the preparation of PON. Before facing PON, my team and I also held a training center for 3 months in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta which required us to train morning-afternoon-evening every day with physical and technical programs. The most important thing to prepare is technical training where during the TC we also invited several teacher assemblies to be able to provide knowledge and perfect the techniques we use for the match. Then we also need to prepare a strong physique, of course equipped with a physical training program with a coach assigned by KONI DKI. In addition to technical and physical training, we also need to maintain a healthy diet with appropriate nutrition, supplements and multivitamins to support our performance during preparation and training," he continued.

“We do heavy training every day for a long time so it is very possible to feel bored and tired, therefore preparing mental readiness is no less important. To prepare a strong mentality, we are facilitated and supported by KONI DKI Jakarta psychologists. And lastly, no less important, the thing that needs to be prepared is rest because rest is part of training. Sufficient rest is very important for recovery of injured muscles and recovery after undergoing heavy training. For me, the preparation for PON XXI is different from the previous PON because there are so many challenges that I need to face. In this PON I have to skip general preparation because this PON I am undergoing while continuing my professional education as a nurse where I have to carry out station after station and work from one hospital to another. I missed general preparation because I couldn't join the training with the team because I had to follow the morning/afternoon/evening shift hours so I tried as much as possible to keep moving, training according to the work hours and asked the trainer for a program so that my physical condition would not lag behind other friends. Several times it happened where I had to continue to take part in physical test activities even though I had just come home in the morning because I had finished night duty. After all the stages are finished, I still have to complete the Final Scientific Paper for Nursing and prepare for the final KIAN exam as one of the requirements to be able to take part in UKOM. Three months during the TC/training camp, I still have to divide my time to prepare myself for the National Nursing Profession Competency Test amidst the fatigue of the daily training program, after training I still have to read the material, work on questions, watch learning videos and do several tryouts. Not to mention the injuries we experienced during training but still have to prepare for the match. However, I am still grateful, even though the process is not easy, requires great patience, drains time, energy and mind, but with the support of family, coaches, team, friends, best friends and also my partner so I can go through it all and still complete my obligations and responsibilities to be able to contribute achievements for DKI Jakarta. I am also grateful to the team this time who was able to create warmth, closeness and a sense of family that is so close that we can continue to face every obstacle and challenge we face, "he said in detail to the UPNVJ Public Relations.

Renasti's success in PON XXI is a positive highlight for UPNVJ, which continues to encourage the development of student talents in various fields, both sports and academics. Congratulations, Renasti! May your achievements be a motivation for many people. (*s)