With the support of her family and faith in God, 14-year-old swimmer Grace-Elizabeth Khelan is hoping to make Fiji proud at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.
The Jai Narayan College student, who is from Taveuni with maternal links to Tailevu, says her grandparents and mother have been her biggest motivation throughout her preparations.
Khelan says her mother has been waking her up for training and constantly encouraging her to put God first in everything she does.
She says preparations have been going well with the support of her swimming coach Esther Malani and her gym coach.
Khelan says her main goal is to reach the finals, achieve a personal best and hopefully bring home a medal for Fiji.
She is also encouraging other young athletes to never give up, keep working hard and always put God first.
Meanwhile, Fiji's Youth Olympic team and Deaf Rugby Sevens teams are scheduled to depart Fiji today.
The Youth Olympic Games will take place in Dakar, Senegal, from this Friday to November 13th, while the Deaf Rugby Sevens World Cup will be held from Saturday to next Tuesday.
