Meli Laddpeter 
[File Photo - Mereia Turaganivalu]
Weightlifting national rep Mereia Turaganivalu is slowly finding her footing in managing her studies and playing the sport she loves.
The 15-year-old, one of the youngest in the squad, has proven herself repeatedly over the past year and is an athlete to look out for in the future.
Daughter to Olympian Ivy Shaw, Turaganivalu says she is trying her best to follow in her mother’s footsteps and develop into one of the best lifters in the country.
The Gospel High School student has participated competitively in a wide range of sports but fell in love with weightlifting when she picked it up.
“I started when I was young, but coming up I did different sports, I did rugby, swimming, athletics, and then I started doing weightlifting last year then I fell in love with it even more. It’s very good, but I’ve been able to deal with it and balance it with education, it’s been hard.”
Turaganivalu who aims to compete at the Olympics one day, won gold in the youth and silver in the junior 57kg categories of the 2024 Oceania Weightlifting Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.
She also took part in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship last year where she won bronze.
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