Kakapa pushed through the pain

By ANDREW MOLEN
IT may be small but it was an inspirational moment when 14-year-old West New Briton Dominica Kakapa pushed through pain and difficulty to finish her race during the National Athletics Championships at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby on Dec 6.
Competing in the 3,000m, the Grade 4 student began to slip back when she felt a sting in her right thigh. Fearing an injury, she slowed down but did not stop.
Clasping her leg, she pushed on with a grimace. She was exhausted from the Port Moresby heat, panting, limping and fighting the urge to stop but her feet kept moving.
The 3,000m was a grueling seven-and-a-half laps. Kakapa had run in the 1,500m race the day before. That was three-and-a-half laps, but this one was going to be challenging.
Seeing his young athlete in peril, West New Britain coach Wilson Malana ran to the officials to stop her.
“I saw that she was in pain and was concerned that she might get injured, so I ran out to stop her but she kept going,” he said.
“All of us in the team tried to stop her but she refused, she’s very tough.”
Though concerned, Malana was happy to see expert sports medicine specialists from High Performance Sport PNG there to ensure Kakapa’s safety and that of other athletes. One of them was strength and conditioning trainer Ian Karme.
Karme was on the far end of the track when he was signaled to attend to Kakapa. Cutting through the inner field, he caught up with the young athlete.
“Initially, I thought it was her hamstring,” he said.
“But as I ran to her and started communicating, I realised it was a cramp due to the heat and fatigue.”
Making the decision on the run to let her continue, Karme kept communicating with Kakapa as they went around together for the remaining laps.
“While running with her, I asked how she was feeling and she said she was alright but asked me to stay close and watch her,” he said.
“She has a big heart, and showed courage and passion for her sport.
“She showed determination to finish her race, and I am glad that we were there to make sure that she and all the other competitors were alright.”
A Papua New Guinea international in AFL, Karme said Kakapa boosted his morale too as a fellow athlete and sports official.
By then the other older, stronger athletes had left her well behind, leaving her with two extra laps to complete after the lap scorer rang the bell.
Running alongside and behind her on the inside grass turf, Karme watched her as she headed for the line. Half running, limping, speeding at times and then slowing, Kakapa kept going. The strain was visible on her face.
With one lap to go, Kakapa maintained her pace, her head held high as if to keep herself from drowning. Nearby, Karme’s feet echoed, assuring her that she was not alone.
The crowd cheered her on as she came around the final stretch for the last time in the race. She had nothing to prove but she had worked hard and come a long way. This was her race.
The entire stand was filled with claps and cheers as he crossed the finish line, never slowing down. She collapsed into the arms of officials after crossing the line. Karme and his colleague Armstrong Meli took her to the medical bay for treatment.
“She brought tears to my eyes, I was worried about her,” Malana said.
“But I was very proud of her efforts.”
Malana told her before the competition, to run her own race and not worry about her rivals.
“I told her that the other girls were older and bigger,” he said.
“But she needed a strong mind and to focus on her own race, ‘don’t worry about techniques and ideas, just run your race’, I told her.”
The strain was on her leg muscle known as the iliotibial band, which helps to extend, abduct and rotate one’s hip.
Malana attributed the cause of Kakapa’s condition to a lack of warm-up – after doing her warm-up, there was a delay in the proceedings and while waiting, her body had cooled down.
“She risked further injury and compensation, so we had to monitor her through the race and afterwards as well,” Armstrong Meli said.
Kakapa had suffered heat exhaustion and dehydration, and had to be cooled down before they could treat her injury. It would take about 45 minutes before she recovered fully.
“We were pleased to see that there were no serious injuries and released her,” Meli said.
He reported that heat exhaustion and dehydration was a common sight on the day since most athletes were from the New Guinea Islands, Lae and the Highlands where it rained often and was not as hot as the nation’s capital.
“Some did not train in the same and specific conditions as the time in which they would be competing in on the day,” Meli said.
“My advice is, take this into consideration when preparing for future events.”
He also encouraged athletes to drink plenty of water before, during and after each session.
A further proof of Kakapa’s resilience was when she lined up in the 4x400m relay a few hours later in the afternoon after returning to her camp.
The Kae Primary School student is quiet and shy but she loves sports and always competes in events. She loves playing football and touch.
Kakapa was inspired by Papua New Guinea long distance male track athlete Andipas Giorasi who is a former student from her school. She has older brothers and friends who compete in the sport.
She first represented her province in the national championships in Kimbe in 2019 where she won silver in the 3,000m and bronze in the 1,500m.
Former Papua New Guinea sprinter Malana said Kakapa had a heart for sports and would make it into the national team if she kept working hard.
Kakapa’s former teacher Beatrish Malana was also emotional, watching her fight through the pain to finish the race.
She described her as a kind and helpful person who shared her things with others and was always respectful to everyone. She was attentive in class and excelled in English, mathematics and physical education.
“She has a good personality and as we saw, a strong mind and spirit too,” Beatrish said.
PNG and Pacific Games women’s long distance champion Poro Gahekave also congratulated Kakapa on her efforts and encouraged her to continue working hard in school and at training.
Kakapa finished at the back of the pack but it is not always about winning medals. We also cheer and appreciate athletes for their hard work, sacrifice, effort and fighting spirit. They are a reflection of ourselves. They are our champions – the rewards will come.