Heleina Young, a former Fiji 7s rugby representative, is making a significant return to track and field after a six-year hiatus. Young, now 24, has had a tumultuous athletic journey, which included joining the Queensland Reds in 2023 and spending time on the Fiji 7s rugby team in 2024. Unfortunately, her rugby career was temporarily halted due to a knee injury that kept her from participating in the HSBC SVNS tournaments in April 2024.
After her rugby contract ended in December 2024, Young decided it was time to reconnect with her roots in track and field. “I was in rehab for about eight, nine months, and I finally returned to the track. I started my rehab program here on the track with just working on running, and that was where I decided that I wanted to make a comeback,” she said. Since permanently returning to the track in January 2025, she has been optimistic about her progression.
Young mentioned that while she finds the track environment familiar, she also acknowledges the influx of new and younger athletes joining the team. Reflecting on her transition from being one of the younger competitors in 2019 to now being a senior athlete, she maintains a sense of humor about the change. Despite her new role, Young admits that the nerves that accompany competition never entirely fade away.
She noted the significance of her training regimen as she adjusts from the team dynamics of rugby back to the individual nature of track and field. Her previous achievements include impressive records from the Coca-Cola Games, where she clocked 11.87 seconds in the 100m and 24.33 seconds in the 200m finals in 2018. Her status as a skilled athlete was further confirmed when she won a silver medal in the 100m with a personal best of 11.82 seconds at the 2019 Pacific Games.
Athletes like Young demonstrate resilience and the ability to adapt, highlighting the overarching spirit of determination within the sports community. As Young continues to pursue her passion for track, she serves as a beacon for aspiring athletes who may face challenges in their journeys, reminding them that with hard work and dedication, new opportunities can emerge. It’s a hopeful narrative that inspires perseverance in all athletes, echoing sentiments seen across various sports, including rugby, where commitment to improvement is a common theme among players aiming for success.
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