BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Her first Olympic campaign may have ended today but her remarkable journey into international popularity may have just begun for Mariafe del Solar, the Peruvian-Australian beach volleyball player.

The 22-year-old, who has many times been told she may never make it to Olympic level, mainly because of her lack of height compared to most women on the world circuit, is one of the truly international Aussie stories of these Games.

And that’s not just because she has family members from Sydney, Chile and Peru who have come to support her in Rio, but also her instant spike in popularity on social media after the first round loss of del Solar and her partner Nicole Laird to American pairing Kerri Walsh Jennings (a three-time gold medallist) and April Ross (2012 silver medallist).

The match was shown in prime time (7pm) by CBS in the United States, watched by millions. The Australian duo were also interviewed by CBS after their match and within days Mariafe’s following on Instagram jumped from 8500 to over 20,000.

Many were Americans, some of whom sent messages about how hard she competed.

The following day a Peruvian television crew were at Copacabana beach interviewing her, in Spanish, the native tongue of her birthplace. There was a raft of more new fans created overnight and she was being described online as the new glamour girl of the sport and Peru’s quasi-team member.

Mariafe twice posted, in Spanish, thanking the TV station and the many she had received well wishes from and they were seen by thousands in South America.

“It has been overwhelming really, it is very cool to know I have been receiving so much support from around the world, especially from Peru and Australia,” she said.

“It’s so awesome to know there are people out there who support us and follow us despite the results not going our way. I am so honoured there are so many people out there who are interested in us and inspired by what we do.

“After the US game the social meeting support want bananas; I didn’t know what to do. A lot came from America.

“When we lose it’s easy to see the negatives but we have to sometimes think there are a lot of positives that come with it; we’re here – in Rio, the world centre of beach volleyball, competing.

“Back in 2009 when I was 15 someone gave me a pin from Rio and I thought ‘I want to go there, it’s right next to Peru, surely everyone will come to watch me’.

“Now, here I am. It is the sport we played on the streets, using whatever we had, when I was growing up in Peru; it is in our blood. It is so special to be playing the sport we love in the heart of the volleyball world in South America.”

But while the fame may be sudden, the story of how Mariafe Artacho del Solar found her way to Rio is anything but.

She moved to Sydney at age 11 with her mother Isabel, and stayed with her mother’s sister’s family in Gordon for two years before they could afford to move into their own house after her mum had established a café. The sisters later set up a successful chocolate-making business called del Solar chocolate, and they make sweets with a Peruvian touch.

She began playing beach volleyball on the invitation of her older brother at Manly beach, went to the same school with current partner Laird who is a year older. She made national teams from age 15 but the only way to progress was to attend the Australian Institute of Sport’s volleyball centre of excellence in Adelaide when she was 17.

She remembers many times calling her mother in tears because of homesickness and setbacks as she tried to establish herself without being the archetypical beach volleyball player that is tall and lithe.

Maria fe is 174cm compared to Laird who is 191cm, and the other Australia pair who are unbeaten and through to the last 16, former junior teammate Taliqua Clancy at 184cm and Louise Bawden at 180cm.

“I just kept saying believe in yourself and follow your dreams. I was always pushing her; she always wanted to be an athlete,” Isabel said.

“The only way for her to be here at the Olympics was to leave home. It was a hard journey; any athlete goes through ups and downs, so I kept saying to her ‘you are what you have to be’, it’s the only road if you want to go to the Olympics so keep working hard’.

“She was crying on the phone many times. She felt lonely; she was only 18 and because she was the shortest one she had to work very hard to show her skills.

“They didn’t know if they wanted her or not but she had the determination to prove that she could do it; she just wanted to have the chance and show that “this is what I want, this is my passion’.

“For her to be here through her attitude of just give me a chance and I will prove myself is just indescribable, and to have so many of our family together here too …”

There were certainly a few Marias in Rio this week: her aunty Maria Ines, her sister Maria Jose, who both live in Chile, and Mariafe. Then there was uncle August and aunty Rosi from Peru and Isabel’s partner Hernan.

“I wish we performed better here of course [they lost all three matches] but I am determined to be here [at the Olympics] again. To have family here and the incredible support I have received is very special.

“There have been times when I have hit rock bottom but people kept supporting me and believing in me, no more than my mum, so I hope this is just the beginning.”

By the way, Fe in Spanish means Faith.

She wants to continue living up to her name.

Neil Cadigan

olympics.com.au