20-year-old former Nakasi High School sprinter Waisake Tewa will be Fiji’s lone representative in the Men’s 100m event at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
Hailing from Lomaiviti, Tewa’s journey to the Olympic stage has been fraught with personal and financial challenges.
At the Oceania Invitational and Athletics Championship 2024 in Suva, Tewa had to depend on the generosity of fellow athletes for basic equipment like track shoes, which are beyond his financial reach.
“To get these shoes is quite expensive and because I am not working, I cannot afford them,” he explained.
In addition, accessing training facilities poses another challenge, as Tewa struggles with travel costs and fees associated with using tracks and gyms.
“I also have a hard time getting to the tracks to train because I have to use money to travel and then pay for the use of the tracks or gym in order to work out,” Tewa said.
Originally a student at Saqani High School, Tewa moved to Suva in 2021 during the lockdown period and enrolled at Nakasi High School to better pursue his athletic aspirations.
His dedication paid off when he represented Fiji at the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, competing in the 100m, 200m, and relay events. Tewa won his first Pacific Games silver medal in the 4x100m Relay.
Balancing athletics with his academic pursuits, Tewa is currently studying for a certificate in Carpentry Engineering at the Fiji National University.
Athletics at the 2024 Paris Olympics is scheduled to take place from August 1-11, 2024.