NO track shoes, a mother’s love and overcoming the odds in lane eight of the track is what pushed Suva Rua under-14 boys 400m gold medallist Mario Ravuyawa to victory with a time of 56.27 seconds at the Tuckers Ice-Cream Fiji Primary Schools Athletics Championships 2024 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Laucala Bay, Suva yesterday.
The Tukavesi, Natewa, Cakaudrove lad reached the finish line after a close encounter against his opponents and seeing the win was his to earn and clinch, tears streamed down his cheeks once he crossed it.
“I simply heard the words of my mother as she told me to work hard, do my best and win the race today,” an elated yet emotional Ravuyawa shared.
As his teammates trained with any pair of track shoes they could get their hands on, a tearful Ravuyawa shared how he had to train with none.
“I had no track shoes (to train with) and I just wanted to thank my cousin for buying me a pair of it (to run with),” Ravuyawa mentioned, when asked what challenges he faced in preparation for the meet.
Speaking of his win, he relayed how unexpected the win was for him as well.
“I did not expect to win today, because I had been placed in lane eight which is the hardest lane and I didn’t expect to win (in that lane) today,” he added.
Looking towards the new year for secondary school since he was a year eight student, Ravuyawa says he plans to attend Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Nabua, Suva.
