If you can thrive in sports, you can also thrive and excel academically, nothing is impossible, says our national swimming champion.

Taichi Vakasama told SUNsports that he has proved it by graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Fiji on November 29.

The 24-year-old said the six years of studies at the Umanand Prasad School of Medicine and Health Science at Saweni Campus, Lautoka, was not an easy journey as he has to balance studies and swimming.

“The first year I attended university, it was a new experience altogether, with the new environment, the volume of studies from the programme was a lot,” Vakasama who was Fiji’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan said.

“The biggest challenge for me was the Olympic Games and the pandemic. But as years of study went by, I happened to familiarise myself with everything. I was able to manage my time in sports and schoolwork. My colleagues were a great help to me.

“When I am out swimming, they take care of all that I have missed. When I got back, they updated me and helped me online with all the lessons.”

Vakasama dedicated his achievement to his parents.
“Their support with dedication and encouragement was a great contributor to my achievements,” he said.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Vakasama competed in the men’s 100metres breaststroke event at the 2018 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m), in Hangzhou, China.
• He represented Fiji at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
• Vakasama is the current Pacific Games men’s 200m breaststroke record holder.
• Vakasama reached the semi-finals of the men’s 100m breaststroke at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, in Australia.
• He was the first Fiji Swimmer to win a medal at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, in the Bahamas.
• Competing in the 200m breaststroke, Vakasama touched the wall less than a second ahead of PNG’s Ryan Maskelyne.

Taichi’s mum is from Japan while his dad hails from Daliconi, Vanuabalavu in Lau.

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