For two-time Olympian Matelita Buadromo OLY, the journey from the classrooms of Yat Sen School to swimming on the world’s biggest sporting stage was shaped not only by talent and determination, but by a school community that gave her the confidence to believe in what was possible.
Buadromo attended Veiuto Primary School before coming to Yat Sen secondary school, where she became a prefect, swim team captain and, in 2013, Female Athlete of the Year.
Looking back, she credits Yat Sen with helping her find her confidence and encouraging her to step beyond her comfort zone.
“Yat Sen really gave me confidence and a strong support system,” she recalls. “Yat Sen also gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, be more open, speak up, and believe in myself.”
That support became especially important as the demands of competitive swimming intensified.
In 2012, while still a Year 11 student at Yat Sen, the 16-year-old Buadromo represented Fiji at the London Olympic Games, competing in the women’s 100m breaststroke. Four years later, she returned to the Olympic stage at Rio 2016, competing in the women’s 200m freestyle.
London remains particularly memorable because she was simultaneously preparing for one of sport’s greatest stages and keeping up with her Fiji School Leaving Certificate studies.
Her teachers, school leadership and friends rallied around her, helping her balance training, international competition and schoolwork.
“I’ll always be grateful to the friends who constantly lent me their notes!” she says.
Buadromo’s swimming career would take her far beyond those two Olympic appearances. She represented Fiji at eight FINA World Championships between 2011 and 2019 and competed at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. At three Pacific Games, she accumulated an impressive medal haul, culminating in two gold, four silver and two bronze medals at Samoa 2019.
Her contribution to sport has since evolved from athlete to advocate and administrator. Today, Buadromo works with the Oceania National Olympic Committees and serves as Deputy Chair of the ONOC Athletes’ Commission and Chair of the FASANOC Athletes’ Commission.
Her journey has now taken another significant step. Buadromo has been selected as one of six IOC Believe in Sport Ambassadors for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and is the only ambassador from Oceania. In the role, she will help educate young athletes about protecting fair competition and preventing competition manipulation. Her ambassadorial work is also expected to extend through the Tahiti 2027 Pacific Games and towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Through every stage, however, her connection to Yat Sen has remained.
“I’ve always been proud to wear the Yat Sen badge, whether it was at local competitions, regional meets, or on the international stage,” she says.
As Yat Sen celebrates its 90/40 Anniversary, Buadromo’s message to today’s students captures a journey that began in its classrooms and eventually reached the Olympic stage:
“Whatever your dream is, dream bigger.”
And perhaps the most fitting reminder from one Yat Sen student to the generations following behind her:
“Your journey starts here, but there’s no limit to where it can take you.”
