Blue Ribbon winner Lawrence Fatiaki of Suva Rua described his win in that regard, following a close finish in the boys under-14 100m final at the Tuckers Ice-Cream Fiji Primary Schools Athletics Championships 2024 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Laucala Bay, Suva yesterday.
The year 8 Rotuma lad was on cloud nine as he dashed for gold and following the win, was surrounded by his teammates who congratulated him on his success on the track.
“I just feel like Usain Bolt right now and I’m very excited,” Fatiaki expressed, alluding to the Jamaican speedster who is regarded as the fastest man alive.
“It felt really wonderful and amazing running with people (who) had the same speed as me.”
Preparation leading up to his 56.27 second triumph on the track was not an easy one, as he recounted his training and its inception.
“It was really hard, sweating everyday in the sun and I’ve been training since last year,” he recalled.
On the cusp of his primary education and eventually leaping forward to secondary school next year, the dashing speedster’s plans are outlined clearly for the future.
“I will never leave athletics, I will never leave the sport until I get (to achieve) my goals,” Fatiaki proclaimed.
In making that ambition possible, he is looking to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Nabua, Suva to advance his outlook on athletics much further from yesterday’s win.
A grateful Fatiaki thanked his family and supporters for their unwavering support as well.
