Jenly Tegu Wini; a shattered life but unbroken spirit!

The London Olympics ended last summer and it had a lot of heart wrenching stories about athletes who overcame the odds to be Olympians at the games.  Like every Solomon Islander, I swelled with pride when our contingent marched out with the rest of the world during the opening ceremony.  Yet the event was of a greater significance to me when I saw my cousin, Jenly Tegu Wini march out as the country’s flag bearer.

This is a significant achievement and one that many in our family will remember for a very long time.  We are a small country and so perhaps the opportunity to be carrying your country’s flag may not be as significant but it puts Jenly in the company of more famous names like Spanish basketball star Pau Gasol, Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt or Australian Lauren Jackson.

I am proud that Jenly was chosen to carry the flag because I believe she earned it.   Not only because she won a silver and bronze in the 2011 Pacific Games before barely missed out on the gold medal at the Oceania championships in June 2012.  But because her story is one of how determination can change your current circumstances; this is one of the ideals of the Olympic Games.

Jenly is the youngest of 5 surviving children belonging to our late uncle Moses and de facto wife, Margaret.  She is also a single mother with a son, Chokial.

As I watched, it was impossible to avoid reflecting on our childhood.  My most significant memory of Jenly was when her parents separated and the children came to live with us.  It was a traumatic experience and one that many of us would not want to relive again.  An experience that still belies all our efforts to mend broken relationships.  It is also a source of resentment and deep seated anger for others.  Jenly was the youngest, a shy, very quiet little girl who probably also suffered in silence in the years that followed that separation.

But at that very early age, she demonstrated resilience, a very strong desire to be very good at the things she did.  She kept her things neat in a box and she was my mum’s most trusted helper.  She was also a girl of very few words but she was very observant.  My mum adored her and still does today because for a long time, she was her “mother” too.  All the children still speak fondly of my mother and have a tremendous amount of respect for her.

Time passed, I went to university and then Jenly and her sisters moved to live with their oldest sister Jennifer who was now working.  She was determined to care for her sisters and father.  We all moved on and went our separate ways.  Years later I heard that Jenly was now a weightlifter.  I thought it was a very strange choice for her but I was most surprised and happy to see her succeed in the sport.

Then the news that Jenly had made it into the Olympic team for the London games broke.  Every athlete dreams about being an Olympian so Jenly was ecstatic when she told me the news last December.  Jenly did not win a medal but by being the flag bearer, she not only represented our country but she is testament to the fact that through hard work, dedication and determination anyone can achieve great things.

To top it all off, she also got to meet the Queen while she was in London.

I am told that her mother, Margaret, never goes anywhere without a newspaper clipping bearing the picture of Jenly with her medals at the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia.  Believe me, this iconic image of her daughter bearing our national flag on the world stage will now be her most treasured memory.

Congratulations Jenly, we are very proud of you – the experiences of your past may be one of pain, misery and heartache but you showed that nothing can break the spirit of someone who is determined to succeed in life.  Your story is one of an unbroken spirit; the power of determination.  You are an inspiration to your son, our family and the Solomon Islands can only be a better place if everyone is as determined as you are.