Sereana Salalo/PACNEWS

From initially being unaware of what Taekwondo was and facing discouragement from his family, Mara’s journey to his first Olympic Games is nothing short of remarkable.

He discovered the sport through a Facebook advertisement and, despite his family's wishes, chose to pursue Taekwondo instead of continuing his studies in Hotel Management.

This decision paid off when the 25-year-old secured his place at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by winning the Men’s +80kg category at the Oceania Olympic Qualifiers in Honiara, Solomon Islands, in April 2024.

On his Olympic Games debut, Mara fought valiantly but lost two rounds to one against Kasra Mehdipournejad of the Olympic Refugee Team at the Grand Palais.

Despite the loss, Mara was proud of his performance, especially as he won the first round.

He is one of only two Papua New Guinean Taekwondo athletes to represent the nation at an Olympic Games, following featherweight athlete Maxemillion Kassman, who participated at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

“I told myself, I must at least win a round, and I fulfilled it.

“Only recently did we get access to a combat zone in PNG, and we had just five weeks of camp training in Adelaide, which wasn’t enough to prepare us for the world stage.

“I started Taekwondo out of self-interest after seeing it on Facebook.

“Now, I’m receiving messages from youths back home who want to try Taekwondo after seeing me at the Olympics,” Mara said after his event,

Mara’s determination to train was unwavering, even without suitable equipment.

He paid for his transportation from his village in Kimbe, West New Britain Province, for training sessions in Port Moresby.

He expressed gratitude for the support of his coaches.

“I used to train on my own.

“My first coach wasn’t an expert in Taekwondo; we were just learning old techniques.

“There hasn’t been enough funding for individual sports like Taekwondo, but that didn’t stop us.

“My family discouraged me from doing Taekwondo.

“They wanted me to complete my studies first, but I followed my passion.

“Now, they see how far I’ve come, and they’re proud.

“There are so many opportunities in sports.

“Instead of staying home or roaming the streets and causing trouble, sports is the best way to change a young person’s life.

"I want to thank my family, my first coach who supported me from the beginning, and coach Edward Kassman who has looked after me,” Mara said.

In addition to competing, Mara had the honor of being the flag bearer for Papua New Guinea at the Opening Ceremony of Paris 2024, and he hopes to return stronger at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.