TEARS fell down Maryann Macedru’s cheeks as she dedicated her gold-medal win and record-breaking throw to her late coach, Joseph Rodan Jr.
Macedru won gold in the senior girls shot put event with a throw of 13.50m for St Joseph’s Secondary School.
She broke the previous record set in 2008 by Saraseini Savua of Adi Cakobau School who threw 13.12m. While her victory marked a moment of joy, liberation and affirmation of hard work paying off, she dedicated her victory to Rodan, who was a father figure to her and her fellow athletes since he was the school’s head coach.
“I think especially for us, the athletes, the girls, we had a special connection with coach Rodan because he was everything for us,” Macedru explained.
“He was like a second father to us because he sacrificed a lot for this team, not only as a coach but in the way he spoke to us; always encouraging and believing in us when we couldn’t.”
Rodan passed away in January this year after suffering a short illness and his passing was felt deeply amongst sporting circles and others who know him.
“The girls had a really special connection with him and not only in terms of always encouraging us, he was always there for us physically as well.”
In expressing her sentiments on how impactful his life was for her and her fellow athletes, tears streamed down her face.
Speaking through the tears, she thanked him for his work in helping her develop her forte as an athlete and for being a figure of guidance and strength that believed in them immensely and was credited by her as a fatherly figure whose impact was felt beyond the track and field.
“Up until his death, we realised he played a really big role in our team,” she said.
“So everything this year, the girls have been dedicating their wins to him because he really was someone special.”
