AN emotional Makelesi Batimala took to the podium during BSP Fiji Group’s financial support presentation reflecting on a journey she took not so long ago and a journey countless others are about to make or will make.
While many reflect on the Fiji 7s team and their success on the world stage with back to back title wins of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, we take a look at one person who committed decades of her life towards the same journey Rio Olympic athletes are about to embark on.
Makelesi Bulikiobo Batimala, born on October 23, 1977, was one of the first women from the South Pacific to qualify on merit for the Olympic Games.
Most commonly referred to as the Sprint Queen Batimala represented Fiji in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She won four gold medals at the 2003 South Pacific Games, in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay events. She also won the women’s 200m sprint at the Australian Athletics Championships in 2008.
While taking part in the 2007 World Athletics Championships, she qualified to represent Fiji at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing of which she was Fiji’s flag bearer at the Games’ opening ceremony.
As Team Fiji seeks contributions from corporate bodies to be able to meet the $1.5m participation budget, Batimala has been one of the driving force behind ensuring athletes receive a respectable amount of support.
“Growing up my father stressed three things; academic, sport and spiritual wellbeing and those are the three things that have served as my anchor in my journey to chasing my Olympic dream. It takes a lot of discipline and courage to qualify and be part of the Olympic Games,”she said.
She added that her efforts in becoming the Pacific sprint queen and an Olympian was also due to an impressive support structure.
“In the road to becoming the first female in the South Pacific to qualify for the Olympics, it was very hard. You had to leave your friends and your family behind to work on your goals. I would have 15-16 training sessions a week.
“I met my coach Lloyd Wade in 2003 and we worked together for eight years to be able to accomplish my dreams. The 15-16 sessions is not easy. These were hard sessions.
“I never was a long distance runner but I had to run to be able to achieve my goal and I continued until I was able to run the 400m in 51 seconds.
“It was the first time for a Pacific woman to run 51.89 seconds in the 400m and earned me a qualification for the Olympics.
“I was extremely grateful that I had a good support structure particularly to Atma Maharaj and his family who provided me with space in their home to be able to train in Australia. I had the greatest coach in Lloyd Wade.
“Every Sunday he would move my training schedule because he knew I had to go to church. He was there too for a lot of psychological support,” she said.
She added that Wade had always been the voice of reason, pushing her beyond her limits.
“During really tough workouts he would continue to encourage me and push me beyond my comfort zone. At times during training your whole body would feel so numb and you just can’t take it anymore and he would be the one to tell to take the next step or the next stride or to lift your arm and push forward.
“His reminder was always Makelesi at the end of the day its going to be a walk in the park. Sometimes when he knows my body cannot take it anymore, he tells me to get up and that I would thank him later.
“This experience has helped me with my athletes now. I pass the same message to those that I coach. Spiritual well has also been one of the motivators at those time. I know that the Lord has at those times given me the strength to withstand the pain,” she said.
Through her experiences she said those seeking to make the same journey, need to understand the level of discipline needed to participate in the Olympics.
“Nothing came about without discipline and sacrifice. I wouldn’t be where I am today without those things. As we get closer to the Olympics, I remembered what it was like to be there, to be part of the excitement and the many nations all vying for a medal.
“I enjoyed my time as an Olympian and for those that are going I want to share with you that you enjoy your experiences at the Games.
“You will be able to learn from the experiences of other world-class athletes there too and it was a blessing to have been part of that journey,” she said.
