When we think of Fiji, we immediately picture lovely white sandy beaches and beautiful blue ocean water, not the hustle and bustle of Women’s Rugby 7s.
I sat down with Taleena Simon and asked her a few questions about her sporting achievements thus far.
How long have you been playing rugby?
I played my first game of Rugby 7s at the age of 17 with Redfern.
Is it hard to remember the rules coming from a league background?
No, not really. I’m learning something new each day.
How many countries have you been to for sport in general?
I’ve been to France, England, the Netherlands, Fiji, and New Zealand.
Who inspires you?
I’m inspired by many people. I learn something new every day from each and every person, but most of the time I’m inspired by myself – because of failure it teaches me how to get success in life. Everyone has challenges in life and those challenges make you more responsible and stronger in life. Don’t give up and learn not to quit.
What advice do you have for young girls about health and fitness?
Open yourself up and put yourself in situations where you have the chance to have a new experience, learn something new, or play with new people. It’s a really important part of development and achieving your goals and dreams, also it’s all about doing what you love and what makes you happy. Whatever it is, give it your all and never give up.
It goes without saying that Taleena is a strong role model not only for her family and friends but for the wider inner-city community. Sport has taken her all over the world, but listening to her speak you soon realise she has a wise head on such a young pair of shoulders.
Being an elite athlete, Taleena has made many sacrifices to achieve her goals and if any local business would like to get behind her and offer any assistance through the form of sponsorship, I know it will be greatly appreciated. It would help Taleena moving forward to achieve even greater things, both on and off the sporting field.
