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Mariafe Artacho del Solar spends 'dream' day with young fan

 

Mariafe Artacho del Solar spends 'dream' day with young fan

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Mariafe and Lauren - Supplied

Mariafe Artacho del Solar recently turned the unfortunate circumstance of injury into a dream come true for 12-year old Lauren, when recovery time meant the chance for her to connect with her biggest fan.

The dynamic beach volleyball duo of Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy will kick off their final tournament of the season this week at the FIVB four-star World Tour event in Chutemal, Mexico.

It’s been a bumpy road to this tournament after a torn MCL in Round One of the World Cup meant Artacho del Solar was temporarily out of action.


While she pushed through her six-week recovery, the Rio Olympian made the most of her time back home by doing something she loves just as much as competing and giving one young fan the experience of a lifetime.

Year 6 student Lauren Waterman started following Artacho del Solar after watching her and Clancy play at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The team had only come together in 2017 and had enjoyed much success.

It was on the Gold Coast that Waterman was lucky enough to witness the pair secure Commonwealth Games silver, after going down to Canada in the final.



It was her “powerful and super-accurate serve” that Lauren admired on the court, but off the court, it was the way Artacho del Solar interacted with her fans on social media, “helping them to have a positive attitude and always have goals.”

The young Victorian was herself a keen volleyballer and was recently granted a scholarship at the Maribyrnong Sports Academy in Melbourne. To reward her for her efforts, Lauren’s mum, Vikki arranged a birthday surprise she would never forget.

“Lauren was determined to do well in her application for the Maribyrnong Sports Academy, never missing a training session or game and trying to get as many touches of the volleyball as she could.


“Lauren’s efforts paid off and she received an offer for Year 7, 2020,” Vikki said.

“Mariafe has always been Lauren’s idol. They chatted briefly on Instagram where she gave Lauren tips on volleyball along with some kind words of encouragement. 

“She looks up to her so much, so I reached out to Mariafe’s manager to ask if she did any meet and greets.”

Mariafe was more than willing to oblige, so the proud mum arranged to fly Lauren from Victoria to South Australia for her birthday.



“Myself and Lauren’s step-father Matt, gave Lauren a card saying how proud we were of her and as a congratulatory gift, we had arranged for her to meet Mariafe Artacho Del Solar,” Vikki explained.

Enclosed in the card was a plane ticket for Lauren and a photo of her standing with Mariafe’s cardboard cut-out from the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

“Lauren didn’t believe it, she looked at me confused but once she realised it was real, she was lost for words and started to cry.”



Lauren said the thought of meeting her idol was a dream a come true.

“I was in shock and utter disbelief when I found out I was meeting Mariafe,” the 12-year-old said. 

“It didn’t feel real, I felt like I was dreaming, but once I realised it was real, I cried happy tears! I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would get to meet my idol.”

Lauren and Vikki arrived in South Australia where they watched Artacho del Solar train before spending the day together.

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“While I was waiting to meet Mariafe, my heart was racing a million miles an hour, I had butterflies in my stomach and felt like I was on a rollercoaster,” Lauren said

“But when she arrived, it finally felt real. She gave me a big, warm hug and I was just lost for words, until we got talking and it felt like we had known each other forever! 

“She was so easy to talk to. We chatted about volleyball, school, life, goals and achievements.”

Lauren quizzed Mariafe with an impromptu interview on how she got to where she is today, before they had a hit out on the court.



The youngster called it “the best day ever” when referring to the time she spent with her idol, but Mariafe explained that these moments are just as special to her, as an athlete.

“I know it meant a lot to her, but it means so much to me as well,” the 2019 World Championship bronze medallist said. 

“To be able to have that impact on a young girl is so amazing and it is the reason that I do, what I do.

“Being able to inspire someone is such a special part of being an athlete, even if it’s just one person, knowing you’ve made a difference in that person’s life is just amazing.



“My view is that if someone takes the time to write to me, ask me for advice on social media and look up to me so much that they want to meet me, they obviously care about me and I want to return that.”

Artacho del Solar says her attitude and behaviour on the court is just as important off it and her behaviour is a result of watching those who have come before her.

“Being a good role model is my aim in everything I do. I make sure I’m professional on and off the court and on social media,” she said. 

“Growing up my role models had similar ways of carrying themselves. 



“I’ve always looked up to Roger Federer because he’s an athlete who despite being one of the greatest of all time, remains humble, modest, respectful and polite and that’s how I want to be remembered,” the 26-year-old explained.

“I try to make time for anyone who reaches out to me and most of the questions I get asked are around believing in yourself. 

“I told Lauren that you will get knocked down, there will be people who don’t believe in you and everyone has those experiences, including me,” she said.

“I explained that I decided early on that no one was going to stop me from achieving my dreams, I had my goals and I was stubborn about them. The motto I have always gone by is, ‘don’t let anyone or anything stand in the way of your dreams.’

“Being able to help people brings me a lot of happiness, everyone needs a bit of guidance and I’m a big believer in spreading the love!”

Artacho del Solar and Clancy will play in their final tournament of the season from 12-18 November. You can follow along and catch all the action HERE

You can learn more about Mariafe's journey HERE

Liana Buratti

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