Wāhine Toa Oceania

• Wāhine Toa Oceania is new leadership programme for retired female athletes from across the Pacific Islands

• The 2025 cohort is open to athletes from: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu who have competed at any Pacific, Commonwealth, Paralympic or Olympic Games.

What is it about?

• Building confidence and capability, and a focus on creating change in self.  

• Taking skills learnt on the field of play into management and leadership roles.

• Leadership training, participation in special projects, in person workshops, mentors and a whole lot of fun.

• Safeguarding and good governance also included.

What’s in the programme?

A nine-month course in 2025 includes two in-person workshops in Fiji, plus online learning, mentoring, project work and local connections. Workshops will take place in Nadi, Fiji.

• First workshop - March 17 to March 20, 2025

• Second workshop - August 25 – 28, 2025

The programme has proven effectiveness based on the New Zealand Olympic Committee Wāhine Toa model and aligned with the international WSLA programme. The programme is created and delivered by the New Zealand Olympic Committee and funded by the New Zealand International Development Cooperation.

The 2025 cohort is open to candidates from American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu who have competed at any Pacific, Commonwealth, Paralympic or Olympic Games (and now retired from international competition).

Please note, 2025 is a pilot programme and we hope to expand it to other sub-regions across Oceania in the future.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee welcome the following participants attending the pilot programme in Nadi, Fiji from March 17-20th, 2025.

• Agnes Chan Sau (American Samoa)

• Julieanne Westrupp (Cook Islands)

• Makelesi Bulikiobo (Fiji)

• Kalala Tanuvasa (Samoa)

• Gabrielle Apelu (Samoa)

• Olivia Hogarth (Samoa)

• Penateti Feke (Tonga)

• Calina Panuve (Tonga)

• Malia Paseka (Tonga)

• Matie Stanley (Tuvalu)