Meli Laddpeter 
[File Photo]
With several major international tournaments on the calendar for Weightlifting Fiji this year, 15-year-old Mereia Turaganivalu is excited to represent her country once again.
The 2024 Youth Female Athlete of the Year last competed for Fiji at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in India last August and is eager to showcase her talent on the international stage once more.
Turaganivalu says while 2025 was a tough year for her, she remains optimistic of the upcoming season.
“It was hard, quite difficult, but I’ve been praying a lot and I just thank the lord for making it to 2026. But it was really difficult because of my school, schedule of school work and training along with competitions.”
Turaganivalu comes from a family with strong weightlifting backgrounds, with her mother Ivy Shaw being a former Olympian, representing Fiji at the 2004 Athens Games.
Turaganivalu also boasts an impressive record having won gold and silver at the 2024 Oceania Weightlifting Championships and a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship that year.
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