There’s More to Tongan Flag-Bearer Pita Taufatofua than his Throbbing Rig
There’s More to Tongan Flag-Bearer Pita Taufatofua than his Throbbing Rig
DYOR Dave
Pita Taufatofua first caught the attention of the world at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where his oiled-up rig stole the show and thrust the Tongan into Olympic folklore. Last night’s opening ceremony saw Pita return for the third time as the flag bearer for the proud nation of Tonga, and even at 37, his absolute rig of a body took centre stage, oiled within an inch of its life and accompanied by a traditional Tongan ta’ovala.
After a disappointing result in 2016, Taufatofua will suit up for his first Taekwondo bout on Tuesday at 12:35 pm, but Taekwondo isn’t the only sport that Pita has lent his throbbing muscles to his nation for. In December 2016, just 4 months after appearing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, he decided to train and attempt to compete in the cross-country skiing event at the upcoming winter Olympics.
To say this is ambitious is an understatement, as skiing comes about as naturally to a Tongan as astrophysics does to an NRL player. Yet Pita worked hard, and with the help of Youtube tutorial videos as well as an unlikely alliance with two skiers from Mexico and Chile, he qualified for the 2018 games, becoming Tonga’s second-ever athlete at the Winter Olympics.
In 2019, he also attempted to qualify for the 200m kayak event at the Tokyo Olympics, stating “It’s a sport that’s close to my heart as it’s what my ancestors did for thousands of years.” Pita was inspired to become an Olympian after witnessing the proud moment Tongan boxer Paea Wolfgramm won his nation’s first Olympic medal at the 1996 games.
Born in Brisbane and brought up in both Tonga and Australia, he has fought hard for his achievements, battling through “six broken bones, three torn ligaments, three months in a wheelchair, a year and a half on crutches and hundreds of hours of physiotherapy” to make his Olympic dream a reality.
Outside of Sport, Taufatofua has a degree in Engineering and is currently studying for a master’s. He is also a UNICEF ambassador and spends time working with multiple causes such as homelessness and climate change. He still holds a close connection with his pacific traditions, having grown up around farms pulling native Cassava leaves, and will be aiming to do his nation proud when he suits up at the Tokyo Games.
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