Maximina Uepa

Maximina Uepa (born 22 September 2002) is a weightlifter from Nauru. She won the bronze medal in the women's 76 kg event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England.^[1] She is the current Nauruan women's record-holder in the 71 kg category for overall, snatch and clean and jerk.

Maximina Uepa

Weightlifting girls' 63 kg at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires on 12 October 2018. Snatch.
Personal information
Nationality	Nauru
Born	(2002-09-22) 22 September 2002 (age 22) Denigomodu, Nauru
Sport
Sport	Weightlifting
Event(s)	–64 kg, –71 kg
Medal record Women's weightlifting Representing  Nauru Commonwealth Games 2022 Birmingham 76 kg Pacific Games 2019 Apia 71kg[a] Commonwealth Championships 2019 Apia 71 kg Oceania Championships 2018 Le Mont-Dore 63 kg 2019 Apia 71 kg 2021 76 kg 2017 Gold Coast 63 kg Pacific Mini Games 2017 Vila 63 kg

Biography

Uepa was born on 22 September 2002 in Denig, Nauru.^[2] Her father, Jezza Uepa, and her brother, Maxius Uepa, are both successful powerlifters.^[2] Jezza Uepa won the 120kg+ class/super heavyweight class in the IPF World Powerlifting Championships in 2019.^[3] In 2015 she was the youngest competitor at the Commonwealth Youth Games, aged twelve years old. She competed in the 58kg weightlifting category.^[4]

In 2018, she was flagbearer for Nauru at the Summer Youth Olympics.^[5] She was recognised as Nauruan Sportsperson of the Year (Female) in 2018.^[6] She was a bronze medallist in the 63kg category at the Pacific Mini Games in 2017, only beaten by Mattie Sasser (gold) and Amanda Gould (silver).^[7] In 2019 she moved from the 63kg to the 71kg category.^[8] She is the current Nauruan Olympic record-holder in the snatch, clean and jerk and overall; this record was set at the 2019 Pacific Games,^[9] where she also won two gold medals.^[10]

In August 2022, Uepa won the bronze medal in the women's 76 kg event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England.^[11] She dedicated her medal to weightlifter Reanna Solomon,^[11] who died from COVID-19 in July 2022.^[11]

Nauruan records

Current

Event	Record	Date	Meet	Place	Ref
71 kg
Snatch	87 kg	7 December 2019	Pacific Cup	Noumea, New Caledonia	[9]
Clean and Jerk	113 kg	7 December 2019	Pacific Cup	Noumea, New Caledonia	[9]
Total	200 kg	7 December 2019	Pacific Cup	Noumea, New Caledonia	[9]

Historic (2002-2018)

63 kg
Snatch	85 kg
Clean and jerk	95 kg	5 December 2017	Pacific Mini Games	Port Vila, Vanuatu	[12]
Total	170 kg	7 April 2018	Commonwealth Games	Gold Coast, Australia	[12]

Medalbox note

1. Plus clean & jerk gold and snatch silver