Taekwondo athlete attends US programme

Fiji Olympian Venice Traill will travel to the United States next week for the next stage of the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Programme, with the goal of strengthening the pathway for Fiji’s next generation of Taekwondo athletes.

Traill is the first Fiji Taekwondo coach selected for the prestigious programme, which is through a partnership involving the University of Delaware, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and Olympic Solidarity.

She began the first module virtually on April 7, covering coaching, leadership and ethics, athlete development, sport psychology, performance nutrition, physiology, biomechanics, sports technology and athlete well-being.

From September 17 to October 3, Traill will complete the in-person components at the University of Delaware, working with sport performance experts before developing and presenting her proposed project.

She will also undertake a one-week Taekwondo apprenticeship, shadow a high-level coach and gaining exposure to coaching methods and sports technologies that can be applied in Fiji.

Following her return, Traill will continue developing an athlete-centered high-performance pathway for Fiji Taekwondo, focusing on talent identification, athlete development, coaching systems and preparation for regional, international and Olympic qualification events.

Traill made history in 2024 when she became the first Fijian taekwondo athlete to secure Olympic qualification through victory at a continental qualifying tournament.

Fiji Taekwondo Association president Neelu Nand said Traill was now using her experience to create opportunities for athletes who would follow her.

“Venice has already created history for Fiji as an athlete. She is now investing her time, experience and knowledge into creating better opportunities for the athletes who will follow her,” Nand said.

Traill, who is completing her university degree, works full-time, coaches at Civic Taekwondo Academy and serves as assistant coach of the Fiji National Taekwondo Team.

She said her Olympic journey had shown her the importance of having the right pathway, coaching and support around athletes.

“I want to use this opportunity to develop a system that provides our athletes with clearer direction and better preparation from grassroots level through to high-performance competition,” Traill said.