Coach hopes to revive para swimming

Para swimming coach Siteri Adivanabale hopes to revive the sport in the country.

She had started off during the National Schools Age Group Championship where she coached two swimmers, Losena Grace Togoloa and Myrah Thaggard.

Togoloa attends Multiple Intelligence School while Thaggard goes to Nehru Primary School.

“I met Grace when she was with Beacon in 2023. She’s a Down Syndrome girl. I asked her is she wants to join the Special Olympic.

“Since then, she kept that within her, until I met her again in MIS.

“I feel emotional and proud of my swimmers that we have participated at the two-day competition.

“Para swimming has been going on for a while before it stopped then we decided to revive it this year and I thank the Fiji Schools Swimming Association for including us.”

Adivanabale took a para swimming team to Dubai in 2008 and hopes to do the same in the next Paralympic Games.

She coached five swimmers for six months and they won seven medals – 3 gold, 2 silvers and 1 bronze.

“There was lack of communication since then with Special Olympics Committee and now I try my best despite having busy schedules.

“From now on they will be participating at the national competition of short course and long course.

“We are part of the Dolphins swim club.

“My goal is to get more swimmers and try and establish swimming club to be inclusive. That’s my dream.”

Adivanabale started off coaching with Esther Malani before she joined Dolphins. She has been studying at the University of the South Pacific in between coaching.

“When I started with the swimming comp schools, it was not competitive like before. Now children from the West are very competitive despite having smaller pools. When they come to Suva they beat all of us and that shows swimming has been growing.”

National Schools Swimming Association president Salaseini Lele said: “Moving forward we will include para swimmers as we’ve started this year after missing out for a few years.

“We want them to feel how they want to feel and how it is to swim with the other swimmers, overall, they did well.”