Tuivuya Puts Gold Medal Aside For Rugby

Winning the inaugural Weet-Bix Raluve competi­tion is next for Makelesi Tuivuya and her Jasper Williams High School team.

The Navutulevu, Serua native won gold in the intermediate girls’ high jump at the 2022 Coca-Cola Games held at the HFC Bank stadium in Suva last week.

Now that the Coke Games is over, Tuivuya and fellow JWHS Under-18 girls have shifted their focus to rugby.

She shares maternal links to Kei­yasi, Nadroga, she is the only child in her family.

“Looking at the Jasper Williams ex scholars in the national rugby teams has motivated me to play rugby,” Tuivuya said.

“My gold medal is going to be hanging somewhere at home, now it is my rugby boots and Raluve competition time.

“In the long term, I know rugby takes us to places around the globe.

“We (JWHS) are yet to play Cuvu College and then onto the national quarterfinals.”

Tuivuya dedicates her gold medal to her father who is a policeman stationed in Naitasiri.

“Sometimes I was not training for my jump; I was just focusing on the 4x100 metres relay.

“Preparing for the Cokes was tough, challenging; sometimes I wanted to quit but it kept on. I had to juggle my time, find ways to fit everything and now I’m wearing a gold medal.

“This medal tells a lot of stories of struggles, challenges - it means so much.”

Tuivuya also dedicates her gold medal to her coaches, parents, fam­ily and all JWHS ex scholars.

“These are the people who sup­ported me and our team; they gave us hope to continue training.”

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