Fiji Taekwando Olympian Venice Traill will travel to the United States next week to undertake the next stages of the prestigious International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program.
Traill is the first coach from Fiji Taekwondo selected for the programme, marking another important milestone for the development of the sport in Fiji and proudly joins a legacy of Fijian coaches across sports including volleyball, weightlifting, athletics, basketball, swimming, rugby and archery.
The programme is delivered through an international partnership involving the University of Delaware, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and Olympic Solidarity.
Traill began the first module virtually on 7 April 2026, the learning programme covers the art and science of coaching, coaching leadership and ethics, athlete development, sport psychology and mental preparation, performance nutrition, physiology and training design, biomechanics, sport technology, athlete performance and wellbeing.
From 17th September to 3rd October, Traill will undertake the in-person components of the programme in the United States.
At the University of Delaware, she will participate in practical and interactive learning with sport performance experts, before receiving one-on-one support to develop and present her proposed project.
She will then complete a one-week Taekwondo apprenticeship, shadowing a high-level coach and gaining exposure to new coaching methods and sports technologies that can be shared and applied in Fiji.
Traill’s selection coincides with the 70th anniversary celebrations of St Joseph’s Secondary School.
A proud alumna from the Class of 2016, Traill represents the school’s continuing legacy of educating and shaping women who go on to lead, serve and represent Fiji.
Her achievement is particularly significant given the responsibilities she continues to balance.
Traill is completing her university degree, works full-time, coaches athletes at Civic Taekwondo Academy and serves as Assistant Coach of the Fiji National Taekwondo Team.
Traill made history in 2024 when became the first Fijian taekwondo athlete to secure Olympic qualification through victory at a continental qualifying tournament.
Fiji Taekwondo Association President Neelu Nand says Traill’s journey demonstrates exceptional commitment, discipline and service.
Nand says Traill has already created history for Fiji as an athlete, and is now investing her time, experience and knowledge into creating better opportunities for the athletes who will follow her.
Following her return to Fiji, Traill will continue developing and implementing her athlete-centred high-performance pathway for Fiji Taekwondo. The proposed pathway will seek to strengthen talent identification, athlete development, coaching systems and preparation for regional, international and Olympic qualification events.
In April–May 2027, Traill will travel to the International Olympic Committee Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, for the fifth and final module. She will publicly present her project for assessment by an academic board comprising representatives of the University of Delaware, USOPC and international coaching experts.
Traill says she hopes to transform the lessons from her Olympic journey into a stronger and more sustainable system for Fiji’s athletes.
She says her journey to Paris showed what is possible for athletes from Fiji, but it also showed her the importance of having the right pathway, coaching and support around an athlete.
Traill adds that she wants to use this opportunity to develop a system that provides our athletes with clearer direction and better preparation from grassroots level through to high-performance competition.
