VENICE Traill, a young woman from Nausori, has beaten the odds and etched her name in the annals of Fiji taekwondo following years of perseverance, determination and sweat.
After becoming the first person from Fiji to qualify for the Olympic Games in taekwondo, the 26-year-old has captured the hearts and minds of many throughout the country.
Ms Traill took part in the women’s +67kg event at the Oceania qualification tournament for Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, in Honiara, Solomon Islands on April 7.
She fought hard in the tournament, beating athletes from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to win gold and put Fiji on the map, thus kick-starting her journey to the Olympics.
“It has taken me years competing in regional events like the Pacific Games and Oceania Games to get here,” Traill said.
“The last international games I went to was the world champs in 2017 in Muju, South Korea.
“I was young and made a lot of mistakes, especially with my preparations, but I feel that I’m in a good place right now mentally and physically. I’m up for the big challenge and I’m going to face it head on.
“I’m excited to see people I look up to at the games, it’ll be great, and I’m so blessed and excited.”
As a child, Traill says she always liked sports, but didn’t get into martial arts until her cousin signed up for a self-defence class. Even though she felt like she was too late to start, she eventually joined taekwondo and found it helped her with self-esteem and discipline.
“One day my cousin came across an advertisement for a self-defence class in our area (Nakasi) and decided to sign my nephew up for it.
“His first class I just sat and observed, and I saw plenty of kids running around me in coloured belts in their taekwondo uniforms and I felt like it was too late to join.
“Growing up, I didn’t have the best self-esteem and would act out just to feel self-worth. Taekwondo made me feel like I could leave all my frustrations on the mat.
“I watched my senior belts, especially the women, do great things in class and out of class as well and I wanted the same confidence.
“Taekwondo taught me self-control and integrity and to never give up.”
Her journey to the Olympics hasn’t been easy. She’s faced challenges and setbacks along the way, but she’s never given up.
She says training for tournaments is not just about physical strength, it’s also about staying mentally strong.
“I had all my juniors tell me how much of an inspiration I’ve been to them, but I never really felt like I was, personally.
“After the Pacific Games last year, after getting another bronze at another regional event, I was not in the right state of mind.”
But she remained stern and focused on her training, learned to control her thoughts, seek help when she needed it, and find strength in her faith.
“Everything looked good on the outside, but I was battling myself on the inside. The only thing that helped me was prayer.
“I committed everything to God in prayer and worked and worked hard. I decided to switch up my style of fighting, studied more sparring techniques on YouTube and used them more in training under the guidance of Master Ra.
“Self-control boosted my self-esteem and taught me discipline.”
With support from her family, friends and coaches, they helped her stay focused and encouraged her to keep going.
“Every tournament I train for, they make sure I’m fed well and make sure I’m not snacking on junk food. I find it funny but at the same time I’m grateful that I have people around me who care.
“My friends pick and drop me after training, and are always checking and asking about how I’m keeping up with national training.
“My nephew, Roderick, who I started taekwondo with, who calls me the awesomest aunty ever, is one of my biggest supporters. He’s always happy for all my achievements, big and small.”
Excited for what lies ahead of her in the coming months, the young lass will be flying the noble banner blue in Paris, inspiring the new generation of taekwondo athletes with her.
“I’ve learnt that there are things that I can and cannot control. I stop assuming or making up scenarios about a situation and that’s helped me a lot.
“Talk to people you trust if you’re feeling down. Recently, I’ve been trying my best to get right with God and it has helped me so much mentally.
“Train and study the sport. It’s not always about the physical but mental as well.
“Don’t give up once you lose, keep trying. Mistakes are all part of the process, and it is up to us whether we use those mistakes to learn from or let them consume you.”
