Kuinini's Olympic journey
One day the coach saw my daughter weightlifting at the gym and was impressed with how she controlled the bar. He came over to her and said, “You are on my team.” He saw how flexible she was with squatting and she showed advanced potential for such a young athlete. At first, she didn’t believe it, but the coach continued to inspire and try to convince her. Finally, she decided to try. It was hard but now she loves it.
The first year she went to USA Weightlifting’s National Junior Championships in Texas and won the gold. That’s the moment she decided to stick with it. Then she represented the USA in the Thailand Youth World Weightlifting Championships (a mini-Olympics). She was new and one of the youngest. She won the bronze medal, the highest level you can get. From there, she’s been working hard to get ready for the Olympics. Kuinini is representing Tonga for Women's Weightlifting at the 2020 (now 2021) Olympics and then plans to come back to represent the U.S.A. for Women's Weightlifting for the 2024 Olympics.
What it takes to be an Olympian
The most important thing is to have the desire. My daughter is so humble and focused. If you want to be on an Olympic level, you have to stay focused not to get distracted. Be patient, humble, take the right path. And in your extra time, you do more. That’s how you get the treasure–by doing the extra.
It's all in the family
Every morning in the summer, we go to the park, run, and exercise. We also go to the gym and workout. We all weightlift now: Kuinini, her 15-year-old sister, and her 12- and 17-year-old brothers. It runs in the family because my son just won a state championship as well.
What's next?
Kuinini is still working hard. We are planning to go on a church mission in between the 2021 and 2024 Olympics. And, of course, she will continue to do her studies in her third year at SFSU.
We are rooting for you, Sikoti, Kuinini, and the Manumua family!
