Vanuatu para athletics team are proud to have exceeded their expectations with their performance and the amount of medals expected.

Australian Volunteer, Jessica Richardson who is also Vanuatu's para athletics team manager said the competition has been very good for the team.

"It’s been really good, we’ve been thankful and grateful for all of the support of the Vanuatu team and we’re a pretty small team compared to other countries here.

"But you know there are about 160 athletes and maybe 200 people in total in the team but we certainly know how to make a enough noise to make it sound like a lot more people at the event," she told Samoa Observer.

Vanuatu won three medals altogether in para athletics with ambulant javelin women and men as well as women's 100m.

"So we’ve come a long way in the Pacific Games and we had set our goals for our medal tally and we are smashing it at the moment. So certainly happy with how that’s going.

"And I think as a female we’re pretty stoked because females are topping our medal tally for Vanuatu," said Richardson.

One of the para athletics, Marceline Moli who spoke through Richardson as a translator said she has loved the experience of competing in Samoa, as this is her first major Pacific Games.

"She did compete at the Mini Games in Vanuatu 2017 and then again in Australia 2018 for the Commonwealth but this has been a really exciting event for her and she’s learnt a lot.

"And at the Commonwealth Games she was only able to compete in Javelin, whereas here, she was in her favorite event, the 100m sprint," said Richardson.

Richardson said it is the first time for Moli to compete with proper race starting, blocks and gun, which are facilities and resources they do not have back home.

"She came away with bronze in the Women’s ambulant 100m.

"So that was really exciting for her to have these new experiences and learn lots and make new friends with the other competitors which is good and then to come away with a medal on top of that was pretty awesome," said Richardson.