Sainimili Naivalu
Sainimili Naivalu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nationality | Fijian |
| Occupation(s) | Disability rights activist, table tennis champion |
Sainimili Naivalu (1986–2019) was a paralympic athlete and disability activist from Fiji. She represented Fiji in international wheelchair table tennis competitions and was awarded gold and silver medals.
Biography
[edit]Naivalu was born in 1986 and was from Dakuibeqa on Beqa island in Fiji.[1][2] She was born with caudal regression syndrome, which meant that she was a wheelchair user all her life.[3] Her father was a church elder and her mother a housewife.[3] She was a member of the Spinal Injury Association in Fiji.[2] She was also a representative of the Fiji Disabled People's Federation.[4] She was vocal about how people with disabilities needed to be consulted so that Fiji could progress to greater inclusivity. She saw three central concerns for disabled people in Fiji: accessibility, medical supplies and security - in particular in the aftermath of natural disasters.[4]
A wheelchair table tennis para-athlete, Naivalu competed at an international level, winning a silver medal in doubles table tennis with partner Merewalesi Rodan at the 2017 Oceania Para Championships.[5] In 2015 she won gold in the doubles with partner Mark Harris at the International Table Tennis Federation Oceania Cup.[6][7]
Naivalu died in 2019.[2]
Selected works
[edit]- Devine, A., Carrol, A., Naivalu, S., Seru, S., Baker, S., Bayak-Bush, B., & Marella, M. (2017). They don’t see my disability anymore’–The outcomes of sport for development programmes in the lives of people in the Pacific. Journal of Sport for Development, 5(8), 4-18.
- Devine, A., Carroll, A., Naivalu, S., & Seru, S. (2018). Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the Pacific. Journal of Paralympic Research Group, 9, 43-62.
References
[edit]- ^ Nauwakarawa, Keresi (2011-03-11). "Making a difference in society". Fiji Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ a b c "Sainimili Naivalu". AWID. 2020-12-08. Archived from the original on 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ a b Mitchell, John (February 2018). "Naivalu's Untold Love Story". Mai Life. 129 – via PressReader.
- ^ a b "'Understand disabilities'". The Fiji Times. 2016-07-09. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ Tavaga, Meli (2017-04-15). "Rodan and Naivalu settles for silver". FBC News. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ Eroni Tuinaceva; Suva (2015-04-14). "Fijians Impress, Says Ho". Fiji Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ Kumar, Vishaal (2015-04-15). "Top performance". The Fiji Times. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-04.