There was a buzz in Suva leading into the biggest Area Oceania Athletics Championships ever to be hosted. At FASANOC in the days prior saw 30 of Oceania’s Youth Leaders immerse themselves in a Wellbeing and Inclusion Workshop to further their off track and interpersonal development.

Participants came from across fifteen (15) of the Oceania Athletics Association Member Federations, the Fiji National University, Oceania Sports Education Program, Pacific Disability Forum and the FASASNOC Athlete Commission.

The three-day workshop was a collaborative effort between the Oceania Athletics Association, Total Teams, and Sport Inclusion Australia.

Focussing on Wellbeing and Sport Inclusion. The wellbeing component of the program aimed to explore together how athletes can thrive more consistently – individually and collectively – in achieving both peak performance and optimal wellbeing in training, competition and daily life.

The inclusion component of the of the program consisted of professional development and capacity building workshops targeted at coaches, technical officials, sport administrators, and community organisations supporting people living with a disability.

Edwina Ricci of Total Teams said of the three-day workshop “It was inspiring to see such a diverse range of participants come together with one goal – to improve wellbeing in sport across Oceania. Regardless of their roles as athlete, coach, official or administrator, each participant could see how important it was to improve their wellbeing capabilities, strengthen their connections to self and others and nurture the conditions our sport is conducted in.”

The program helped grow participation and gender equity; build the awareness and engagement with the community to see and experience the benefits of sport personally, professionally, and socially; and create competition pathways for eligible athletes living with a disability.

Participants spoke of their experiences below via anonymised feedback

Participant 1: “This workshop gave me confidence to standup for myself and my fellow athletes when things are not right.”

Participant 2: “Mental Health; as an athlete who struggles with properly managing my mental health, I tend to hide everything to “deal” with later. This workshop brought those built up emotions back to the surface and they came out ugly. I was uncomfortable, but relieved”.

Participant 3: I learnt to “build wellbeing capabilities, character strengths and emotional agility, most importantly understanding other people, learning to listen without judging”.

Participant 4: “The amount of group work gave us an opportunity to bond with others and to listen to the journey of others”.

Participant 5: “Inclusivity session really stood out as that’s what I’ve been battling in our island country. Athletes also have a voice, not the coaches only. Also loved the diversity”.

Participant 6: “A particular aspect that stood out was self-care. Being able to go easy on yourself despite failing, keep trying”.

Oceania Athletics Association Development Manger Regan Kama spoke on the Workshop at the conclusion of the event: “For three days, the next generation of our Member Federations initiated conversations on their wellbeing, leadership strengths and exploring inclusion concepts. It was a chance for our young leaders to reflect on themselves, discuss their challenges and realise their abilities and opportunities. It was wonderful to then see our participants interact in their competition throughout the Oceania Championships”.

The athletes, coaches, and administrators went on to play key roles in their teams at the Oceania Athletics Championships 2024 and 2024 Micronesian Games, as well as continue to engage with each other on and off the track.

We would like to thank FASANOC staff for their hospitality and the use of their conference room, especially to our dear late friend Temo Savou, our hearts are broken, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, fly high our friend.

For further information on the program please contact:
Regan Kama
Oceania Athletics Association Development Manager:
development@oceaniaathletics.com