The news of the sudden passing of Coach Lloyd Way came as a shock to the PNG Athletic family last week.
Lloyd was an integral part of the development of a number of our athletes , some of whom went on to represent our country at the highest levels of competition.
They are deeply and sincerely grateful to Lloyd for his motivation, patience and love for what he did and to bring out the best in every one of them. He was in many ways, a father figure to young athletes living away from home.
Lloyd coached Salome Dell to a level that none of us imagined was possible , taking her from being a raw 2min 20 second 800m runner in 2005 to an astounding 2:03.71 three years later and then 2:03.53 at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010.
Lloyd also coached a number of athletes to PNG National Records including Mae Koime, Mae Koime,, Toea Wisil a Nelson Stone , and Sapolai Yao.
He was Toea Wisil’s first coach in Australia and successfully coached many other PNG athletes including Ann Mooney , Donna Koniel , Betty Burua, and (before they went to the USA) Poro Gahekave , Sharon Kwarula , Wala Gime and Cecilia Kumalalamene.
Better known at the time for his work with athletes from Fiji , Lloyd coached many highly successful athletes including Makelesi Bulikiobo. Jone Delai , Niko Verekauta , and Isireli Naikelekelevesi.
On behalf of its athletes and coaches,Athletics PNG has conveyed its deepest sympathies to Cheryl and to Lloyd’s four children at this difficult time. Lloyd will be laid to rest tomorrow , Thursday 27 May at Keppel Anglican Church Lammermoor Qld.
