PROFILE
Mariafe is a beach volleyball sensation and one half of the Australian Beach volleyball team. Growing up in Peru and moving to Australia at age 11 she took up beach volleyball for the first time. She was just 13, when she then took the international stage by storm at the U19 World Championships. By 21, she had competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics and in Tokyo four years later clinched a silver medal. She has amassed over 20 international medals and finished fourth in the world in the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics.
A strong role model for aspiring athletes, Mariafe is passionate about the ‘mental game’ that is inherent for an athlete’s success and is committed to helping others build resilience and courage.
She is strong, disciplined and committed and as the name ‘del Solar’ suggests, she always brings a touch of sunshine. Believing in the importance of balance and planning for the future, in November 2023, she launched her own loungewear label ‘del Solar’.
SPEAKING TOPICS
FINDING YOUR INNER STRENGTH & CONFIDENCE
For most sports there is an “ideal” size and shape, but bring an outlier doesn’t mean an athlete can’t be successful. Mariafe knows this all too well when she was t old she was too short to make it as a professional athlete. She wasn’t always the first pick because of her height, but this gave Mariafe the resilience, passion, confidence to fight for her dreams.
A strong role model for aspiring athletes, Mariafe is passionate about building the same resilience, passion and courage in the community. Beach volleyball is a mental game, says Mariafe, and playing in all types of weather conditions (sometimes extreme) and diverse locations around the world has helped build the inner strength and discipline that is required to complete at elite level.
Mariafe speaks about how she broke down sport stereotypes, dealt with the challenges thrown at her, found her inner strength and confidence, and offers her advice for others on how they can do the same.
FROM PERU TO VOLLEYBALL STAR TO ENTREPRENEUR
Mariafe’s personal journey to becoming an Olympic star is one of dedication and absolute commitment making her an inspiring voice for young athletes.
She spent her early childhood in Lima, Peru, before moving to Australia at ae 11 with very little and speaking no English.
Forced to start all over again, Mariafe’s brother first introduced her to beach volleyball at Manly, Sydney. It was love at first spike. Today, her commitment to her sport and her unwavering determination have seen her become one of the best in the world – and in Paris 2024, she is widely tipped to earn another Olympic medal with her teammate Taliqua Clancy.
But her success as an athlete is not enough for Mariafe who truly understands the importance of a loungeware label ‘del Solar the Label’ with her husband Jack. Proving that you never need to be just one thing – Mariafe share her journey from schoolgirl, to world-class athlete to entrepreneur and the lessons she’s learnt along the way.
