Litiana Miller highlights the experiences and struggles of being a successful Fijian athlete

As mothers in Fiji look forward to celebrating Mother's Day this Sunday, fitness instructor and former gold medal winner for Fiji at the South Pacific Games Litiana Waqairatoga-Miller shared her struggles and experiences of juggling being a successful athlete, a wife and a mother.

Miller shared her experiences and struggles during fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan.

Miller says she had to plan her pregnancy with her husband Albert Miller who was her coach as well.

She says they would plan to have babies between competitions so that her career would not be affected and amazingly it worked out well for them.

Miller says her husband pushed her to get back on the tracks and train after she gave birth, and she had to push herself because usually in the Fijian setting, a woman would stay home and look after the family after having kids.

She is grateful that her husband is an open-minded person and kept supporting her in all aspects of her domestic duties.

Miller recalls having her first son, Albert Miller Junior in 1997 and 2 years later in 1999 competed in the SPG in Guam breaking the 100 metres record and clocking a time of 11.92 seconds.

She says that was the pinnacle of her career.

Miller had her second, son David in the year 2000 and felt more motivated to compete in the 2003 SPG held in Fiji because she would be running in front of her home crowd.

She faced a lot of pressure because she was looking after her second baby at home, the athletes were staying over at their house while preparing for the games which added pressure because she had to maintain her fitness as well.

After having her second child, Miller won gold in the 4x100 metres relay, won 1 bronze medal in the 200 metres and another bronze in the 400-metres event.

Miller says going into the 2003 SPG, the team was geared for glory knowing they were running in front of their home crowd and they were winning taking first, second, and third places in most places.

Fiji won a total of 63 gold medals, 59 silver, and 53 bronze medals that year and was placed second on the overall medal tally behind winners New Caledonia.