The only thing that kept me going was the memory of my father and his face in my mind.”
Those words carried Police Constable Esther Yalimaiwai through one of the most difficult periods of her life — the loss of her father while undergoing recruit training at the Fiji Police Academy.
The 26-year-old from Namuka-i-Lau, with maternal links to Vuda, was among the 150 members of Batch 69 who graduated from the academy this week in a passing-out parade at Nasova officiated by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
For PC Yalimaiwai, the achievement was more than the completion of months of demanding training. It was the fulfilment of a dream she had hoped to share with her late father, Marika Yalimaiwai.
“One thing I always wanted was for my father to see me standing here today,” she said.
The young recruit recalled marching into the academy on February 8 full of hope and determination. But less than two weeks later, tragedy struck when she received news that her father had passed away.
“During my second week of training, on February 19, I was informed that my father had passed away,” she said.
She took a week away from training to attend his funeral before returning to the academy to continue the programme.
For many recruits, the physical and mental demands of police training can be overwhelming. For PC Yalimaiwai, the burden of grief added another layer of difficulty.
Yet she pressed on.
“The only thing that kept me going was the memory of my father and his face in my mind,” she said.
Before entering recruit training, she served as a Special Constable with the Fiji Police Force for one year and five months. Prior to that, she completed a Certificate Level 2 in Information Technology.
She admits there were moments when she questioned whether she could continue, particularly during the academy’s gruelling long-distance runs.
“Yes,” she said when asked if she ever considered giving up. “Every time we had to do long-distance runs, it was difficult. The only things that kept me going were God and my father. I was very close to him.”
Now wearing the police uniform as a fully-fledged officer, PC Yalimaiwai credits her success to faith and family.
“Firstly, God. Secondly, my family, especially my late father, Marika Yalimaiwai, and my mother, Kinisimere Yalimaiwai,” she said.
As she begins her policing career, she hopes to serve with honesty and integrity, believing actions speak louder than words.
“I believe you should do your job honestly and let your actions speak for themselves,” she said.
For PC Yalimaiwai, every step forward in uniform will also be a tribute to the father whose memory helped carry her across the finish line.
