BY JOY OFASIA
MANY times people wonder why one is a single mother; how come she didn’t hold it together in the previous relationship and why do you have a child out of marriage? Many questions and unfair statements are being thrown at single mothers.
Some people even see them as being second-grade citizens. However, 34-year-old [Solomon Islands female sports icon], Jenly Tegu Wini from Malaita province knows that she had to make a difference as a single mother – now single and she embraces her situation.
As a single mother, she gave birth to a son, who is now a teenager.
“My son is now 15-years-old and he is in form three; after all, he has been the central focus of my life – The happiest moment in my life was to raise my only child and the joy to watch him grow up step by step until now.
“To be a single mother can also be one of the most difficult developments in life, but it is also one of the happiest moments in my life to be able to see my son smile and cry and watch his success all these years growing up,” she told Solomon Women.
Jenly has over the years become a prolific woman figure in the sports of weight lifting. She competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the women’s 58 kg category. In the event, Wini finished in 17th.
She also competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, finishing 8th in the women’s 58 kg. A year later, she competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the women’s 58 kg. She finished in 15th place.
However, she made another history for the country after she won a gold medal in the 2013 Oceania Championships in her weight category; the first female weightlifter from the Solomon Islands to do so. This year, she became the first Solomon Islands athlete to win a Commonwealth Games medal, finishing third in the women’s 58 kg weightlifting event on the Gold Coast, Australia.
She is also a two-time flag bearer for the Solomon Islands sports contingent in both the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Wini said the happiest moment in my life is to achieve my dreams and aspirations in the sports of weightlifting.
“Winning medals and becoming one of the country’s top female champions in weight lifting has been one of the memorable experiences in my life and I believe my son is also proud to witness my achievement at the highest point in my career as a sportswoman and single mother.
“The most influential people in my life as a sportswoman and single mother are both my parents and my aunt, Flory Whiteside,” she added.
Meanwhile, her advice to the next generation of single mothers or parent is to never fail your child or children; you must learn to adapt and live with the situation.
“There is nothing to be ashamed of as a single mother; the only thing to do is make the right choice based on your situation. Follow your dream and be yourself, work hard and never give up. Put trust within yourself, be humble, learn to listen, and mostly respect others and you will be successful in whatever you do,” Jenly said.
