Fiji Athletics sprinter Heleina Young. [Photo: TAINA BASIYALO]

The roar of a packed stadium is something Fiji Athletics sprinter Heleina Young rarely experiences at home, but the silence has only strengthened the bond within the national squad as they prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

While many athletes draw energy from spectators, Young says Fiji’s track and field athletes have learned to create their own motivation, leaning on each other through demanding training sessions and making the most of every day on the track.

“Normally, when it’s a national meet, that’s the time when the stadium is empty. We don’t get many people supporting and cheering us on, but we’ve gotten used to it and learned to lean on each other. We have a good group of athletes here, so we make the atmosphere fun for ourselves and enjoy the tough training that we have day in and day out.”

Despite the challenges, Young says preparations have gone well, and the team is ready for the test that awaits in Scotland.

The Glasgow campaign marks the sprinter’s first Commonwealth Games appearance, almost nine years after representing Fiji at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas, where she competed in the 100 metres as a 17-year-old.

This time, Young will line up in both the 100m and 200m, adding another challenge against some of the Commonwealth’s quickest athletes.

But rather than feeling the weight of expectation, the Fijian sprinter is keeping her focus simple.

“The pressure is just like any other competition because our expectation is to go out there and give our best. We trust the preparation we’ve put in, we’ve worked hard for this, and we’re hoping to come away with some personal bests.”

For Young, Glasgow is more than just another international meet—it’s the senior Commonwealth Games opportunity she has been working towards for years, and one she hopes will reward all the hard work put in long before the starting gun fires.

The Commonwealth Games start on the 23rd of this month in Glasgow, Scotland.