Brieanna Rabakewa's journey started off with her and her father both learning how to throw through videos on YouTube and TikTok.
This was shared by Brieanna Rabakewa of Swami Vivekananda College after winning gold in the Senior Girls Discus at the 2026 Coca-Cola Games.
Rabakewa says she never stopped training, even during the holidays and bad weather.
She says that through her 5 years competing in the Games, she has been blessed with so many unforgettable moments of growth, achievement, and joy, from building lifelong friendships to experiencing the pride of representing my school, every season has shaped me into a stronger and more confident person.
Rabakewa shared about the side of being an athlete that often goes unspoken, the struggles to encourage other athletes to keep going, even when things feel overwhelming.
She says there are so many things they go through that people don’t always see.
Rabakewa says behind the performances, records, and medals, they quietly battle things like trying to find our identity outside of sports, figuring out who they are beyond the field, the track, or the game.
She says they push through burnout, even when the sport they love starts to feel exhausting.
The SVC student say they carry mental struggles in silence because they are expected to always be strong.
She says balancing school and sports feels like living two lives at once, constantly trying not to fall behind in either.
Rabakewa says one of the hardest fears is letting people down, coaches, families, teammates, and even ourselves but the truth is, all of this is normal because it’s part of growing, part of learning who we are, and part of becoming stronger, not just as athletes, but as people.
She says every challenge, every doubt, every moment of pressure is shaping them into something greater than just what they do on the field.
Rabakewa said as she stepped onto the circle for her last throw, she wanted to make a statement, and even with everything you are going through, the Lord would never put you through anything that you cannot overcome and even with everything thrown at you, it is only for your good, to come out stronger, growing through everything they once thought they
couldn’t handle.
She says as she walked off that circle, she carried more than just a result, she carried growth, faith, and a story she will always be proud of.
