Wainimala Secondary School’s sub-junior boys 4x400m relay team produced one of the day’s most stirring upsets at the Coca-Cola Games Triple N Zone Athletics Meet, taking gold in the final and announcing the highland school as a force to be reckoned with on the track. The quartet of Erami Namudu, Livaliva Vitale, Iosefo Kama and team captain Ratu Ilaitia Delasau combined to run a controlled, determined race that left several larger, better-resourced schools trailing.
Wainimala seized the initiative early in the final, with clean handovers and a steady increase of pace that kept them out of reach. Observers noted the team’s composed race plan and fearless energy: rather than starting fast and fading, each leg held form and pace, handing over momentum that carried the quartet to the finish ahead of rivals from across the zone.
Delasau, who led the team on and off the track, said the boys had not travelled to the meet merely to participate. “We did not come just to participate, but to prove that even from the highlands, we could stand tall on the national stage,” he said, underscoring the deliberate intent behind their preparation and performance. For many of the runners it was their first time competing on a proper athletics track and the first time facing some of the biggest schools in the zone, amplifying the magnitude of the achievement.
The victory was especially poignant given the obstacles the team overcame. Wainimala’s athletes have had limited access to specialist facilities and training equipment at home in the highlands, and resources for travel and regular competition are scarce. Rather than allowing those constraints to determine their outcome, the boys leaned on discipline, teamwork and a shared belief in their goal — elements Delasau credited for turning aspiration into gold.
“This win is for all the struggles we faced,” Delasau said after the race. “We’ve always dreamed of winning a medal, and today we showed that nothing can stop us if we believe.” His comments reflected a broader sentiment within the school: that success was born out of resolve as much as raw talent, and that the medal belonged to the community that had supported them despite limited means.
The result will be watched closely across the Triple N Zone, where the Coca-Cola Games meets are seen as a key stepping stone for young athletes aiming for higher-level competition. Wainimala’s gold serves not only as a milestone for the school’s athletics program but also as an encouraging example for other rural and highland schools that athletes can compete with — and beat — more established programmes with disciplined training and strong teamwork.
For Namudu, Vitale, Kama and Delasau, the day will be remembered as a dream come true: their first time on the track, their first taste of competing against larger schools, and a gold-medal finish that has brought pride to Wainimala Secondary and their wider community.
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