Sereana Salalo/PACNEWS

The young Fijian embraced the moment as she competed in the women’s 67kg Taekwondo event at the Grand Palais.

Her journey to Paris began with a silver medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Oceania Qualification event in Honiara, Solomon Islands, which secured her spot for the Games.

Naitasi, along with her teammate Venice Elizabeth Megan Traill, made history as the first Fijian Taekwondo athletes to compete at the Olympic Games.

Although Naitasi lost to Jordan’s Julyana Alsadeq, she remained proud of her performance.

“It was so great.

“I loved the support from the Oceania family, and it was an incredible experience.

“I felt so overwhelmed and happy to be there. It was the greatest match I’ve ever had in my whole career.

"The crowd was so supportive, I felt warmth. I was nervous as soon as I entered the mat, but when I heard the cheering and support, I told myself to just enjoy it and give my best," Naitasi said.

Like any athlete making their Olympic debut, Naitasi admitted she was nervous.

Her coach, Master Sanghyun Ra, reminded her to enjoy the competition.

“Our coach has been supportive of this journey since the Pacific Games.

“He told me to have fun out there.

“He’s very encouraging, though sometimes he scolds us, but everything he says is for our best,” Naitasi said.

She believes that anyone, regardless of age, can make it to the Olympic Games if they work hard.

Naitasi is one of the youngest athletes in the Team Fiji contingent for the Games, alongside swimmer Anahira McCutcheon, who is only 14.

“If you love a sport, grab every opportunity and don’t let anything hold you back,” she advised young girls back home.

Outside of the competition arena, Naitasi cherished the opportunity to meet new people at the Olympic Village, which she described as one of her favorite experiences.