Brother of Olympic volleyballer playing in Rio prepares to head to Olympic Games

CAN Mariafe Artacho del Solar add an Olympic medal to the collection in her childhood bedroom on the northern beaches? Her brother- who is preparing to fly to Rio- believes she can

Nikki Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar, will play at the Olympics, after starting their careers at Manly beach. Picture Craig Greenhill

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CAN Mariafe Artacho del Solar add an Olympic medal to the collection in her childhood bedroom on the northern beaches?

Her brother Billy, 40, believes she can.

The landscape designer is among a group of the Volleyroo’s family heading to see her compete on Copacabana Beach in Rio.

Billy, brother of Marife Artacho del Solar is among family members going to support her in Rio. Picture: Adam Ward

He said despite the fact the teams his sister, 22, and teammate Nikki Laird have drawn are tough, he believes she can win. They will face American Olympic medallists Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross in their first match on Friday, Australian time.

“Those three teams are pretty challenging, they’ve got experience – but she has the passion and the determination and I believe in her,” he said. “I’m so proud. Just talking with her before she left it was quite emotional — going there is going to be a highlight as a brother.“

The landscape gardener will join mum Isabel and sister Maria Jose in Rio after a trip to Peru, where the family is from. Picture : Adam Ward

Manly’s Mariafe Artacho Del Solar has arrived in Rio. Picture: Facebook

The landscape gardener will join mum Isabel and sister Maria Jose in Rio after a trip to Peru, where the family is from.

Mariafe’s siblings were the ones who got her into beach volleyball, though she played the sport indoors back in Lima.

Volleyroos Nicole Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar celebrate their place in Rio. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

He invited her along when he was playing socially with friends on Manly Beach when he was 18 and she was 11. But only Mariafe stuck with it.

“It comes to choices, we decided to do other things, Mariafe has just had the determination,” he said.

Nikki Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar will play in Rio. Picture: Mike Burton

His sister now lives in Adelaide, where she trains at the Australian Institute of Sport. She left Australia last month for a competition in Austria, and posted a picture of herself when she arrived in South America this week with a blow-up kangaroo.

She told the Manly Daily she was “really stoked” to be at the games. Her brother said: “I sent her a nice text wishing her luck, and ‘see you in Rio’.”