Sailing out onto open sea is a form of liberation and wonder for some, and at a competitive level in Outrigger Va’a, it’s what drove Iris Rae Bentley Fisher to take it up professionally and heed the nation’s call for the Pacific Mini Games in Palau this month.
Fisher, at 15-years-old, is making her Mini Games debut as one of 22 Va’a athletes and she described how she felt when in her element out on the water.
“It’s the best feeling ever just being out there, and you get to see a lot of the wildlife, like manta rays and turtles and it’s just really nice to be there, especially in the V1 (single person canoe) by yourself,” Fisher explained.
She also described how she began her journey in the sport, crediting a relative for introducing her to it.
“I got into the sport of Va’a two years ago, my cousin was in a club, and she really liked it, because she got to connect with the ocean and she would just tell us a lot about it,” Fisher recalled.
“I joined the club and I found it really nice.”
While being an activity of solace and professional capacity for her, she also shared the technical aspects of the sport.
“Connecting with the ocean is really important because you need to read the weather conditions, the wind knots, the direction and that’s something as well that we’ve been struggling with,” she mentioned.
It is also something her and her teammates have tried to induce into their grasp, with the Mini Games around the corner.
“We have to learn how to pedal upwind, sideways, crosswind, downwind and we have adapted to that and it’s just really good,” she said.
With that in check, being ushered into national representation is no easy feat and she shared how she was able to calm herself when under pressure.
“I’m just praying and just putting those nerves into your spot like paddling, just putting it into every stroke.
“When I get nervous, I just overanalyse everything but when the competition starts, when the flags change, it’s just on from there so it’s just you, the canoe, the paddle and that’s it.”
Being a part of Team Fiji has also allowed her to go beyond her comfort zone in the build-up to the Games and has led her to being excited for what’s to come when it starts.
“I’ve made connections with people that I’ve never really talked to, and I’m just really excited to go and share more memories with them because honestly, these friendships, they’ll go on for a long time,” she added.
She credited God, her family and friends and others that brought this far for their unwavering support.
Team Fiji Outrigger Va’a sailor Iris Rae Bentley Fisher. Picture: VEREIMI WARA
