From Nelson to Glasgow: 18-year-old Tia Nacagilevu ready to lift for Commonwealth Games Glory
Eighteen-year-old Nelson weightlifter Litia “Tia” Nacagilevu has been selected to represent New Zealand at next month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
For the young athlete, receiving the official confirmation email a few weeks before the public announcement was an unforgettable moment.
“I feel so great, actually,” she said, reflecting on the milestone.
“I feel like it’s an honour to have been selected for that spot”.
Nacagilevu’s journey to the top tier of Commonwealth weightlifting began quite by accident.
As a 12-year-old, she was heavily involved in team sports such as netball and volleyball. Seeking to improve her performance on the court, her father encouraged her to try weightlifting for a year to build up her baseline strength. He gave her the choice to either stick with it or walk away after 12 months.
“I decided to continue and I’ve been doing the sport ever since,” she said.
Seven years later, it has become her primary passion.
“I love that the sport really pushes you,” she said.
“It’s an individual sport as well, so you don’t have a team to rely on, but you just have yourself, and you know that all the work you put into that sport is seen through your results”.
The Commonwealth Games, which start on July 23, will mark the largest and most prestigious competition of Nacagilevu’s career to date. She admitted to feeling a normal amount of pre-competition nerves, but her overriding emotion was one of pure excitement.
The final stretch of preparation was already locked in, she said.
Nacagilevu and the New Zealand squad are scheduled to leave the country on July 8. Their first stop will be an intensive training camp in Sweden to fine-tune their lifting before making their way over to Scotland for the games in Glasgow.
When she steps onto the platform, Nacagilevu, who trains at the Nelson Weightlifting Club, will be competing in the 86 kg women’s weight division.
She said the format would test her absolute peak strength, granting her three attempts at the explosive snatch and three attempts at the clean and jerk.
Nacagilevu isn’t just going to Glasgow to make up the numbers; she is a serious podium contender. She is currently ranked second in the Commonwealth within her weight class, meaning her chances of bringing home a medal for New Zealand are high.
She placed ninth on her Senior World Championships debut in 2025 and broke the Junior Commonwealth Games Snatch Record at the 2026 Oceania Championships.
Beyond the heavy steel of the barbell, Nacagilevu is looking forward to the broader experience of the games. She said she was eager to immerse herself in the atmosphere, get to know fellow athletes from other sports, and proudly lift for her country.
“I’m just really looking forward to it,” she said.
Proud coach Lester Keene, who himself competed at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, said Nacagilevu was “incredibly talented, motivated and inspirational”.
“Every time she comes into the gym, it’s just a matter of ‘right, whatever I’ve got to do, I’m going to get on and do it’.”
With her preparation on track and a podium finish well within her grasp, Nelson and the rest of New Zealand will undoubtedly be watching closely.
By Andy Brew, Nelson Mail
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