Zita Martel

Vaimasenu'u Zita Sefo-Martel (born 15 July 1961) is a Samoan women's rights activist, fautasi skipper,[2][3][4] and archer who has represented Samoa at the Pacific Games. She is also an honorary consul of France.[5]

Zita Martel
Zita Martel in 2011.
Personal information
Born15 July 1961[1]
Sport
Country Samoa
SportArchery
Medal record
Women's Archery
Representing  Samoa
Pacific Games
Gold medal – first place 2011 Nouméa compound matchplay
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Nouméa compound
Silver medal – second place 2007 Apia mixed team matchplay
Silver medal – second place 2007 Apia compound

Biography

Martel attended Canterbury University, where she had been a rower.[6]

In 2000, her local church needed a skipper for their longboat, or fautasi.[7] At first she refused the request, but was eventually persuaded to give it a try.[7] When she became the skipper for her church, she also became the first woman to act as captain in the fautasi races in 2001.[2][8] Her boat won the race at Samoa's 50th independence celebrations in 2012.[9] In 2020 her crew won the Faleula to Apia fautasi race.[10]

She represented Samoa in archery at the 2007 Pacific Games in Apia, winning silver (alongside Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi and Eddie Chan Pao) in the mixed recurve matchplay[11] and in the individual compound.[12] At the 2011 Pacific Games in Nouméa she won gold in the compound matchplay[13] and bronze in the compound individual.[14]

Martel also speaks out against domestic violence in Samoa.[8][15]

Honours

In 2013 Martel was made an officer of the French National Order of Merit.[8][16]

References
  1. "Archery > Full FITA compound individual > Medals ceremony : Full FITA compound". NC 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2012.
  2. "Eight To Be Recognized as 2013 Stars of Oceania". University of Hawaii News. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  3. "Vaimasenuu Zita Sefo-Martel (vaega 1)". Samoa Times (in Samoan). 2010-07-10. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  4. Adel Freuan (31 December 2020). "SPORTS PEOPLE OF 2020: Vaimasenu'u Zita Martel". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. "Consulate of France in Apia, Samoa". Embassy Pages. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  6. Sinclair, Shirley (10 March 2012). "Zita's Simply '~oarsome'". News Mail. Retrieved 8 November 2017 – via LexisNexis.
  7. Phillips, Adrian (2013-04-27). "Fishing for compliments on the South Pacific outpost of Samoa". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  8. "Zita Martel". Pacific Community. 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  9. "Sport: Sole female captain wins long boat race". RNZ. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  10. "Historical Victory for All-Female Longboat Crew at Apia Harbour". Samoa Global News. 7 November 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  11. "PM wins silver, as teams tested for depth". XIII South Pacific Games. Archived from the original on 23 November 2007.
  12. "SPG archery ends with gold and friendship". XIII South Pacific Games. Archived from the original on 23 November 2007.
  13. "Team Samoa Medal Winners - New Caledonia 2011". SASNOC. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  14. "Oceania Archery". GameDay. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017.
  15. "Walk Away from Abuse – Message of Love from Fautasi o Toa". Samoa Global News. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  16. "Samoa's only woman long boat skipper gets top French president award". RNZ. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
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