[Photo Supplied]

For 17 year old amateur boxer Merewalesi Kolitapa, stepping into the ring is about more than just winning fights.

It is about finishing the dream her father once had but could no longer pursue.

Her father, Aliki Temo Kolitapa, a former Fiji Boxing rep, had ambitions in the sport before his life changed seven years ago when he became wheelchair bound.

Today, he watches from the corner of the ring as his daughter continues the journey he once hoped to complete.

Merewalesi says her father remains her greatest inspiration and the driving force behind her pursuit of the Youth Olympic qualifiers.

“My inspiration is my dad. He’s on a wheelchair and he had the same goal but couldn’t finish it. So I’m taking that up to finish it for him.”

Despite his condition, Kolitapa continues to coach and guide his daughter through her training, pushing her to chase the Olympic dream they now share.

“My dad is coaching me and he’s been on a wheelchair for seven years now. He’s the one that’s been training and grinding me all these years. We’ve been praying for this opportunity to go for the Olympics.”

Kolitapa often trains alongside male fighters at her boxing club, sparring with her brothers and cousins as she remains the only female preparing for competitions there.

Her journey has not been easy.

The teenager balances early morning and afternoon training sessions with the demands of schoolwork, determined not to let the challenges hold her back.

“It’s quite tough going to school and waking up every morning for training, then coming back in the afternoon to train again. But it shouldn’t be an excuse for delaying schoolwork.”

The young boxer hopes to one day become the first female boxer to win an Olympic medal for Fiji, and she knows the first step toward that dream is succeeding at the Youth Olympic qualifiers.

She recently returned from the Youth Olympic qualifiers, where they are currently awaiting results on who will represent the country at the Youth Olympics that will be held later this year.

With her father guiding her from ringside and her family supporting her every step of the way, Kolitapa is determined to turn her father’s unfinished dream into reality.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.