FIJIAN Paralympic hero Iliesa Delana may have helped us rediscover the hidden meaning behind former US President John F Kennedy's quote of 'ask not what your country can do for you, but rather ask what you can do for your country'.
The pomp, ceremony and red carpet treatment that was accorded to him was very, very special and reserved only for kings, the Queen, other royalties and visiting dignitaries.
He had done his best for country and his country has felt very proud of his achievement and has reciprocated with an exceptional homecoming event to match the distinctive achievement. Now the country has just begun to do its share of what it can do for Delana as he strives for other achievements in the future.
Iliesa Delana became a world champion one week ago where 80,000 spectators and millions of television viewers witnessed and heard the Fijian national anthem for the first time in history being played during a universal gold medal presentation.
For Delana, it was much more as his sponsors Digicel began the welcome reception at his Air Pacific flight from Sydney, then the welcome ceremony at Nadi Airport.
The early morning march and parade by well-wishers and fans along the streets in Suva, the Guard of Honour, the full Fijian ceremony of welcome including the i qaloqalovi (tabua presentation), vakamamaca (tabua and mats presentation), sevusevu (yaqona vakaturaga), wase ni yaqona vakaturaga ( a mammoth lovo-baked pork).
On top of that a live television show from Fiji One for all Fijians to witness a reception definitely fit for a King.
All his life he had watched this ceremony being accorded to high ranking officials and never in his dream would he have imagined that one day the whole nation would come to a standstill and honour him like this.
It's all thanks to the sacrifice he, his aunt and relatives in Nadrala, Lomaviti and Macuata had gone through, the adopted families in Nausori and Suva, athletics officials and the Fiji Disabled Sports Association and Master Saimoni Biggs Nainoca.
Losing a leg since he was three years old in a bus accident, Delana had to battle through the physical, emotional pains and realisation that he would not be able to enjoy again one of God's greatest gifts he had just mastered in one year being a toddler.
As a child crawls, stands and walks in childhood at two years he begins to discover the joy of running.
They run around the home, run everywhere their small legs can carry them to.
As for Delana, growing up on the banks of the Sigatoka River, in Nadrala in the rugby crazy province of Nadroga, he wanted to be a rugby player himself.
That joy of running and rugby dream came to an abrupt end one year or so later as disaster struck.
However, he has risen from the ashes like a phoenix and through his struggles and endeavour in the disabled fraternity and sports association, he has nurtured relationships and newfound families among all races and all walks of life.
He is what you could call definitely a 'Viti kei Rotuma' man and this augurs well for interracial relation and amicable co-existence the government is trying to promote.
Last Thursday, the President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, gave a great speech as well as the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama praising Delana's achievement.
According to Fiji athletics coach Albert Miller, Delana plans to compete in other events and there's a slight hope of him running in coming competitions.
But Miller also says that there are many hurdles he has to overcome and that includes years of practice with his blade runner and the high cost of acquiring one.
Hurdles and impossibilities have been overcome so far and we would like to think that Delana is a modern day Caleb of the Bible, as told in the Book of Joshua chapter 14, as his name Delana also means mountain.
As Joshua was distributing land, 80-year-old Caleb asked to be given Mount Hebron where the Anakim giants lived within cities of great and fortified walls.
"Give me that mountain," he said.
Joshua gave it to him and he definitely conquered it.
Watching the Olympic track events Delana would have definitely fancied his chances in one of them knowing his fitness even with only one leg.
We hope that someone will have the same vision and be kind enough to supply him a blade runner which may cost hundreds of thousand dollars.
By doing so Delana not only achieves his dreams for the country, but recaptures that lost joy and God's gift of running and walking again.
He has been there and has done it and he thinks he can do it again.
He has declared that he wants his mountain, so let us give it to him.