TOKYO, 31 JULY 2021 --- Mary Kini Lifu is one of 49% women taking part at the TOKYO 2020 Olympic Games and making it the Games to achieve the highest parity to date.

She is a weightlifter from the Solomon Islands and took part in the 55kg division, finishing 14th overall. Earlier this week, her participation and performance was hailed by Martin Rara, the President of the National Olympic Committee of the Solomon Islands (NOCSI) as a major statement for women in sport back home.

Originally from the village of Ngadefiu in the Kwara'ae region of Malaita Province, Lifu was introduced to weightlifting by her older sister, also a weightlifter. 

Malaita is the second largest island in the Solomon Islands and also the most populous. It is also culturally very male-dominant which makes Lifu’s choice and pursuit of sport and her performance at the Tokyo Olympics a milestone for her community and country.

Lifu said, “Solomon Islands and especially the province I came from is male dominated, women are sometimes not allowed to take up sports because of cultural beliefs. 

“But I would like to encourage women to take up sports. Sports is not all about winning and it's not only for men, sport is for all. 

“Sport also gives us the opportunity to learn about other people's culture. Understanding other people's culture we can embrace our own. Sport also teaches us to respect each other and create friendship.”  

Lifu attributes her success to her family saying, “my family is very supportive and have encouraged me a lot in my sporting career. Coming from a male dominant province, without their support I would not be here today competing and becoming an Olympian.”

The support of her family and her progress into becoming a national and regional Pacific champion won her an Olympic Scholarship.

She said, ‘I was so fortunate to be a recipient of the IOC scholarship for this quadrennial and trained at the Oceania Weightlifting institute in New Caledonia since 2015 under Paul Cofa and back home under Wendy Hale and Apollos Saeg. 

“These are the Coaches who have helped me and contributed to my rise in this sport. Their contributions are so important that without them I will achieve what I have achieved so far.”

In terms of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Lifu shared that it led to her repatriation back to the Solomon Islands and having to train in an old house. 

“I was trained at the Weightlifting institute in New Caledonia prior to the pandemic. As the pandemic escalated we were repatriated back home. 

“As COVID-19 restrictions and regulations [set in], we spent three months in Nauru, and upon our arrival quarantined for two weeks. 

“During almost 4 months, we only did what we could and training was very minimal. Back home we have this old house where we did our training.”

She shared that despite the many challenges faced by her and other other athletes during this pandemic, “I was always encouraged by my coaches and family never to give up.

The Solomon Islands is preparing to host the SOL 2023 Pacific Games which will be held in Honiara.

Lifu said, “ Indeed it will be the proudest moment for us the people of Solomon Islands and especially the athletes.

“Despite the pandemic with the limited training possibilities available right now, the plan now is to keep on training utilizing the resources we have back home and stay focussed.”

She also has her eyes on the Saipan 2022 Pacific Mini Games and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in the United Kingdom.