Fijian athlete Iosefo Rakesa won gold in the men’s javelin ambulant F41 event at the Pacific Mini Games in the Northern Marianas yesterday.
Rakesa won gold with a throw of 36.93 metres.
Rakesa, who is a technician by profession, is of short stature due to a congenital disorder.
He began para-athletics in 2016 in Suva as he wanted to compete at the Paralympic Games.
He was offered javelin lessons by a friend and enjoyed it.
“Before that, I was playing rugby and soccer, but nobody chose me to go overseas and then I saw athletics,” he said.
“I liked it immediately. It has opened doors,” he told the International Paralympic Committee in an earlier interview.
He is a member of the Laucala Athletics Club and is coached by Freddy Fatiaki.