BY JOY OFASIA
SOLOMON Islands para-archer Lydia Rose only had one goal in mind for this year’s XVII Pacific Games: to win gold. With perseverance and hard work, Lydia achieved her goal.
After years of hard training and competitive participation in domestic and regional sporting events, para-archer Lydia Rose told Raw Sports that she is thrilled to have won her first gold medal in the para-archery recurve open category event at the XVII Pacific Games 2023 on Wednesday at the DC Park.
Lydia now becomes the first Solomon Islands para-archer woman to win gold in the history of the Pacific Games, despite her medal was not counted because a minimum number of participating nations is required for medals to be counted in the Para category. And unfortunately, only Tahiti and the host nation, Solomon Islands took part in the Para archery events.
The para-archer said her dedication and commitment to undergo high-performance scheduled program trainings under the expertise of her coaches at the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sports (SINIS) over the past months have paid off her aim and dream to win a gold medal for the country.
“I have dreamed of winning a gold medal for my country in this year’s Pacific Games. I have worked very hard and have dedicated most of my time to my training the past few months,” Lydia from the province of Temotu revealed to Raw Sports.
Rose’s experience and talent are not new to the Para sporting community in Honiara; she has over the years competed in international, regional, and domestic Para sports events and has successfully won medals.
Rose’s left leg is physically disabled, but her passion for sports over the years has never stopped her from exploring her physical and mental wellbeing.
“My involvement in sports is to improve my physical health and mental well-being. It helps me to stay active, build self-confidence, and feel empowered, which is important for my overall well-being,” she explained.
Although Rose has faced both personal and physical challenges over the years as a person with special needs, she never gave up her hope, determination, and confidence to overcome these challenges.
“Since my involvement in sports as a person with a disability, I have had my challenges, but I never gave up, and that is how I am here, participating in one of the biggest games in the Pacific,” she said with confidence.
