From lucky shoes to Olympic trailblazer: Solomon Islands athlete pushes for Pacific Games gold

Solomon Islands athlete Sharon Firisua, who will compete in the upcoming Pacific Games, was the first woman from a Pacific nation to compete in an Olympic marathon. Photograph: Oceania National Olympic Committee

Crocodiles are a dangerous part of life in Solomon Islands, and when two-time Olympian Sharon Firisua saw eyes peering out of the Yarra River in Melbourne one brisk winter morning after a training run, she feared the worst and shrieked in terror.

Her coach roared with laughter as she fled the riverbank.