Paralympic star in the making

Each week, Maggie Aiono can be found on a sports field in Pesega, practicing the shot put.

She is training with Samoa’s Paralympic Committee, preparing herself for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.

Each training session is the same – she warms up, does fitness training, and then sets to work on throwing the shot put ball. She has a lofty goal – she wants to throw it 12 metres – a distance which would put a Paralympic podium finish close.

“I just want to represent my country,” the athlete said. “I was born in Samoa and I really want to go out there and see what I can do.”

Aiono has battled a disability since she was only a few years old, having lost her leg in a car accident in 1984.

That has not stopped held her back. The athlete has a current personal best throw of 7.5 metres.

“I need to practice more,” she said, as she prepared for another training session – one of the two hour –long sessions she is doing with her trainer, Maylani Ah Hoy, each week.

“I think she needs to be able to throw a 12 to be able to qualify,” the trainer said, speaking of the Olympic Qualifier Aiono is working towards, likely to take place around March. She was pushing fitness in the training sessions, and helping Aiono to improve her strength, to meet that goal.

If that doesn’t happen, Aiono still has a chance to represent Samoa, as wildcard spots are given to developing countries’ athletes, Ah Hoy said.

The training has not been smooth-sailing, howe ver.

Aiono had to stop for two weeks, as her leg developed an infection due to the prosthetic – it was not aired out properly after training.

It’s hoped a proper throwing prosthetic would make moving around much easier for Aiono.

However, the basic throwing leg costs U.S. $5000.

“The leg that she has now is for sort of everyday use,” said the trainer. “With the throwing leg, it gives [Aiono] more mobility... [she would be] able to have more mobility with her throw.” That could equal more distance in Aiono’s shot put. And more distance could mean Samoa’s first-ever medal in the Paralympic games.

For now, Aiono is continuing her training quietly, as the end of the year draws close.

Her trainer is pushing her to do much more training on her own, to make her Paralympic bid much more likely to be a success.

That’s because Ah Hoy will be away over Christmas, putting the weight of her Paralympic bid on Maggie Aiono’s shoulders, as she looks to improve her throw, and give Samoa its first podium finish.