At just 18, Tia Nacagilevu has been selected for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and she is a real medal prospect.
Tia first caught the attention of national weightlifting coach Simon Kerr when she finished third at the 2024 Youth World Championships.
“She has just kept on rising, through the ranks and broke into the top 10 in the senior world ranking junior ranks and then last finishing ninth at the World Senior Championships in Norway,” enthuses Simon.
Tia is rapt all her hard work and training has paid off.
“I am really excited to go to Glasgow. It will be my biggest competition so far,” says Tia speaking from a national training camp in Auckland where the seven-strong team was confirmed on Monday.
The team will also be training Sweden en route to Glasgow.
Tia’s has a best snatch of 11kgs and a 133kg clean and jerk and a best combined total of 242kgs which ranks her second in the commonwealth in the 86kg class.
She confirms there is still a bit of gap between her and the No. 1 Eileen Cikamatana, a fellow Fijian, who represents Australia.
The 26-year-old won Commonwealth gold in Birmingham four years ago.
“But you never know what can happen on the day,” quips Tia, who has been coached by Lester Keene and her father Joni in Nelson.
It has already been a busy year for Tia with the Auckland champs and then Oceania competition just six weeks ago.
She has mixed training with a part-time job at McCashins Taproom. Tia’s not pulling pints but doing social media.
“It works out really well.”
Her mother Niva will be in Glasgow supporting her, while Joni and her five younger sisters will be cheering from home.
