FORMER Natabua High School sprinter and Fiji swimmer Ofa Lagonilakeba has traded her swimsuit for rugby boots.
The Salia, Nayau lass said rugby was always her passion since primary school (Nadi Airport School) playing touch rugby.
“I was always doing four sports in a year, karate, swimming, athletics in primary school. “Until I reached high school I stuck with two which was athletics and swimming and I’ve performed my best through the year with those sports,” she said.
“When I reached Year 6 I injured my nose during a rugby league match in Nadi which had me banned from playing rugby by my parents. I was not even allowed to touch a rugby ball or even be seen holding one.
“Until last year, where my coach for the under-18 rugby team for Natabua asked me to join. Took me two month to continuously beg my parents if I could play. Until they allowed me because of the passion I had for it.
“That’s when we won the Raluve Championship and later on I was selected to be part of the Fiji Rugby women’s high performance unit.
“So in other words, rugby helps me showcase what I can do despite being a small girl because growing up not everyone believed I could do it through either swimming, athletics or rugby.
“I hope I can put my speed and my skills to test on the field.” Ofa who has maternal links to Samoa and won gold in the 200 metres final in last year’s Coca-Cola Games before representing Fiji in swimming at the Junior Pan Pacific championship in Hawaii.
She said discipline was something she learnt from all the sports she played.
School colours
“Discipline and mind-set towards training, my coach Marlene Vuniwaqa of Mako swim club has taught me a lot through hardwork, dedication and performance importantly.
“The times and lengths we’d for training in the pool is more harder compared to any other sports as swimming requires more time and energy than on field.
“It’s definitely a hassle when you doing two -three sports so I had to plan myself out every Monday, Wednesday, Friday I would do swimming and Tuesday and Thursday athletics and Saturdays would be competitions for either.
“Regardless of any sport, it’s always the mindset that drives you daily to become a better person if you want to be a better version of yourself so that’s how I see my experience from swimming towards rugby.”
