Olivia Selemaia, a rising star in New Zealand weightlifting and Hazel Ouwehand, a swimmer with her eyes on the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games podium, have been awarded Yvette Williams Scholarships.
Both athletes represent the future of New Zealand sport and their stories are both compelling and ambitious.
At just 19 years old, Olivia Selemaia is already making waves in the weightlifting world.
A silver medallist in the 71kg junior event at the IWF Junior and World Championships in 2025, she is currently ranked eighth in the world and second in the Commonwealth and clearly on a trajectory to make a splash at Glasgow 2026 and Los Angeles 2028.
“I was excited and grateful when I received the good news. This scholarship makes things a lot easier as competitions are expensive to get to and prepare for. Now I can put all my focus on training and improving as an athlete,” said Selemaia.
The next few years for Selemaia are packed with Commonwealth Games, and then Olympic Games, qualifiers: India, Norway, Samoa and China are all on the upcoming travel itinerary.
“In the past I’ve done weightlifting workshops, raffles, even Givealittle pages to get to overseas competitions. My community has always been amazing, including my private donors who I’m very grateful for, but this scholarship means I can focus more on lifting and less on logistics,” said Selemaia.
At her young age, Selemaia is clear in the direction she wants to head.
“I want to fight for gold at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games while representing the New Zealand Team.”
“It’s a privilege to wear the fern and show our youth that we are capable and worthy of competing on the world stage, all you need is hard work and commitment.”
The Yvette Williams Scholarship was established in 2014, created to give promising athletes the financial backing they need to chase their dreams on the world stage.
