This past weekend, Maike Diekmann became the first Namibian rower to ever qualify for any Olympic Games. She will participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, after winning the final of the Olympic Qualification Regatta in Tunisia. Maike Diekmann remained focussed on her rowing career, after she failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016. By joining the Tusk Rowing Club,she saw an opportunity to better prepare herself for the African games under the supervision of coach Grant Douglas Dodds. "It is an incredible knowing that I have qualified to go to one of the biggest sporting event in the world for my country and to do it as a first Namibian Rower . That makes me feel very special and I am very excited for this journey to start" Diekmann said. Nineteen countries took part in the event in Tunisia, of which the top five place winners gained qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This victory is not the only celebration for Diekmann as she has just been announced as a finalist in the Sports Woman of the Year category at the Namibia Annual Sports Awards, which will take place on the 26th of this month. "I can't believe ,I've never been nominated four years ago. It is very exciting and I am very happy, but most of all I really hope that it inspired a lot of other women and young girls in Namibia to go for the Gold and never give up. Because if you set a goal anything can happen and anything is possible. she said" Diekmann is a finalist alongside marathon runner Helalia Johannes who recently made headlines by winning a bronze medal at the IAAF World championship as well as the SA Spar Ladies Series, and Karateka Suzelle Pronk, who made history in Dubai, where she won a silver medal at the African Beach Games.