There is a common phrase – as you get older, you get wiser – and weightlifter Dika Toua firmly believes it. For the 36-year-old Hanuabada lass, she believes she is getting stronger with age.
Dika has been hard at training here on home soil since returning from the Australian Weightlifting Championships last year.
The COVID-19 pandemic and border restrictions had prevented her to travel and attend qualifiers last year. However, that has not dampened her spirit.
The virtual monthly competitions she has been attending since June 2020 have given her the extra boost she needed to prepare for Tokyo Olympics.
In December last year, she set yet another regional record with a whooping total lift of K185KG in the Women’s 49KG category. She now sets her eyes on attending the postponed Oceania Weightlifting Championships in April and Tokyo Olympics in July.
“Preparations are going well with the help of our coach Willie Tamasi, the Oceania Weightlifting Federation and PNG Olympic Committee,” says Dika.
The Tokyo Olympics will be Dika’s 5th Olympic appearance and she is looking forward to it.
“It would be an historical event for me because it will be my 5th Olympic Games appearance and I am excited to go to Tokyo.”
Like all many great athletes, retirement looms closer to her but Dika says she’s still got a few lifts in her.
“I am crossing my fingers and continue on to Birmingham 2022 and hopefully another Pacific Games,” says Dika.
Dika is 12 times, and current, Oceania titlist and a Commonwealth titlist. She is also the current Pacific Games Weightlifting champion.
