The Solomon Islands Para Powerlifting (SIPP) team is attending the “Gather, Adjust, Prepare and Sustain” (GAPS) Camp in Australia, which is taking place in the Gold Coast from September 14–20, 2025.
Three athletes are representing the country in the camp. They are; Para Powerlifting Coach Leslie Ata alongside athletes Moffat Tolomae and Rose Lydia.
They left for Gold Coast on Sunday.
Coach Ata told Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport (SINIS) Media that the camp is vital in providing valuable exposure, enhancing training techniques, improving competition skills and identifying areas for development.
Coach Ata expressed his gratitude to the Australian Government, through the PacificAus Sports initiative, for supporting para-athletes and teams to attend the Oceania GAPS Camp.
He also expressed hopes that the athletes’ participation will boost their chances of qualifying for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
According to SINIS, the GAPS Camp is being delivered by Commonwealth Sport (formerly the Commonwealth Games Federation) in partnership with Griffith University.
Funded by PacificAus Sports under the 2025 Pacific Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games Partnership (a collaboration involving the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, and Commonwealth Games Australia), the camp is expected to bring together around 70 athletes and coaches from five sports representing 10 Commonwealth nations and territories across Oceania.
The GAPS Program aims to: 0Develop emerging athletes and coaches by providing access to high-performance expertise often unavailable in their home countries, promote inclusion and diversity by creating pathways for women and Para-athletes, build sustainable sporting systems across the region, creating a lasting legacy beyond the camp, and 0Foster stronger people-to-people connections across the Pacific, aligning with Australia’s foreign policy priorities in the region.
GAPS plays a crucial role in preparing both able-bodied and para sport athletes and coaches to perform at the highest levels, strengthening pathways for Pacific athletes and coaches as they prepare for Brisbane 2032.
By FLOYD TERRY JNR
Solomon Star, Honiara
