There are many stories at the Olympic Games that lay bare tales of sacrifice of athletes who put their lives into achieving their dreams in their quest to become sporting legends.
This is one of those stories, but it is also so much more. It’s a story of determination and drive, and one that ultimately changed the status quo and inspired a nation.
Just one tournament stands between Vanuatu’s women’s beach volleyball team and a historic berth at the Olympic Games this summer at Tokyo 2020.
Since Vanuatu’s first appearance on the Olympic stage at Seoul 1988, they’ve sent a total of 31 athletes to the world’s premiere multi-sport event, but no team has ever qualified. That could all change if the pairings of Miller Pata/Sherysyn Toko and Loti Joe/Majabelle Lawac win the AVC Continental Cup Final set for 25-28 June 2021.
The journey to this moment has been 15 years in the making with Vanuatu Volleyball Federation president Debbie Masauvakalo as the driving force. After arriving as an Australian volunteer to Vanuatu in 2004, she quickly recognised the potential Vanuatu had in beach volleyball and worked to establish a national federation and a programme over the next two years.
“The National team programme commenced in 2006 - seeing the growth of the programme is incredibly rewarding, however for me, the aspect that resonates the loudest is seeing the personal growth of the girls,” Masauvakalo told Tokyo 2020.
“Over generations watching them become more confident [and] as time progressed, each new generation of player has an easier pathway to follow... this is a result of the people and players before them, having carved a way forward.
“And that is exactly what we wanted to achieve, not just [to have] champions and award-winning players, [but] we wanted to build a strong community in Vanuatu. That excites me, and that is how I measure our progress and success.”
It isn't the first time Vanuatu have come close to qualifying for the Olympics. After narrowly missing out on Rio 2016, for Miller Pata, who was has been a long-standing player within the national team, there's still a chance to fulfill the Olympic dream.
“If I qualify it’s like my dreams have come true, it’s my dream,” said Pata, who was part of the Rio 2016 qualification campaign. “If we qualify for the first time it will be big things for us.”