Lifting the Pacific
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Lifting the Pacific Way Let’s admit: we are spoilt, most of us. We don’t think twice to express our discontent if the Internet does not work, or complain over the slightly inferior quality of accommodation, meals, or the comfort of the facilities in world or continental events. And then, when we read a report on athletes who are less fortunate and have to fight elementary hardships day by day, we stop to think and – stop complaining. Just read the following lines sent by PAUL COFFA, General Secretary of the Oceania and Commonwealth Weightlifting Federations, creator and coach of the OWF Institute in Apia, Samoa, etc. etc. – in one word: Our ‘Missionary’ in the Pacific. It is not winning that other countries for that counts. It is participation. matter, there would have That has been the way been celebration and right- Pacific Island lifters have ly so. After all it is a world approached events in the medal. past, with the exception of So what makes these Pacific Marcus Stephen from Islanders so unique? I don’t Nauru. have the answer to this. But Today the Pacific Island let me give you some lifters have a different per- insight on how they oper- ception about what inter- ate on the island. I am sure national competition is all the readers will find this about. The attitude that interesting. they take now is “winning I have an average of 25 medals is important, not lifters stay at the Institute, just participation”. They coming from some of the have now accepted Marcus The Oceania Weightlifting Institute in Samoa smallest countries on earth. Stephen’s philosophy of Most of them are assisted saying, “we island lifters are do by the Olympics? expect nothing in return for with accommodation and a as good as anyone else in Yet at the other end of the their performance. small allowance to cover the world’. scale, what makes some of Take Manuel Minginfel food costs for the week, by But what is it that makes these superb young ath- from FSM (Federated States the IOC Solidarity funds these Pacific Islanders so letes, just suddenly walk of Micronesia). His 165kg and their respective nation- motivated towards the away from almost reaching clean & jerk in Santo al Olympic committees. sport of weightlifting? the ultimate dream of Domingo was only 3kg There is no para-medical What makes them train five becoming medalists at away from gold. If he had assistance at all available to to six hours a day, twice per World Championships, succeeded with 165kg on them. Soreness after a day, every day, at a temper- give up the sport without a his second attempt and not heavy training session is ature of 30 to 35 degrees care in the world. Just like miss it, who knows he alleviated by dipping them- Celsius? It certainly is not if all that work meant noth- could have given the Chi- selves into the Pacific money. ing to them. nese a real go. He didn’t Ocean or in the river near- What is it that makes Ele Whilst lifters from Europe, cry, all he said was “I’ll beat by the Institute. Opeloge from Samoa, a Asia, Middle East and other him next time”. If they are lucky to get hold young girl weighing 95kg, parts of the world, want to And the day he arrived of a tube of liniment from fifteen months ago doing be rewarded for their back in Samoa, after 36 the pharmacy, like Metsal 65 – 80, and only 15 accomplishment and they hours of flying, he was or Deep Heat, then that months later she does 110 expect it, instead Pacific back at the Institute train- becomes very valuable to – 145. On top of this she Islanders go to world ing like nothing great had them and they guard it handles the weights just championships without happened. After all, as far safely and use it only for like toys. Ele squats 240kg. tracksuits or shoes because as Manuel was concerned, competition. Reason being But let’s remember that they cannot afford them. he only won a silver medal, that it is too expensive to 157kg clean & jerk placed Quite a few come back so what was the big deal. buy or simply not available 3rd at the World Champi- from these events success- Can you imagine a German when they really need it. onships. She improved fully and go back to train- lifter winning a silver They make sure that exer- 61kg in the clean & jerk in ing the next day as if noth- medal or lifters from Italy, cises are done properly so 15 months. What can she ing great has happened and Spain, or Greece or any that injuries are avoided at 34 Oceania region. This young Athens Olympics, broke man weighs 86kg and clean her toe at the Common- & jerks 180kg, with no wealth Games, trying to shoes. If he lifts with shoes, win gold, but nobody knew he tells me he can’t lift including me that she was properly. I tell him he already two months preg- needs to wear shoes, it is nant. And she cleaned compulsory. He looked at 110kg to try and win the me asking why? What do gold medal with a broken you say to him, that he is toe and two months preg- breaking the rules? In fact nant. Sioe Haioti from he told me, “why should I Niue, that pretty super use shoes, that’s cheating.” heavyweight girl, she tried Talk about human to beat the New Zealand tragedies: Yukio Peter’s girl at the Commonwealth mother died on the week Games in Melbourne. The Institute training hall that he was in Santo She needed 131kg to win Domingo (placing 8th), his bronze. She cleaned it all times. Prevention is far cake and ice cream on top. father died a long time ago twice, missing the jerks better than cure. Within half an hour every- when he poured petrol over twice. She was three They have no concept of thing disappears. It is won- what is a proper diet. And derful to see how clean the the more you try and dishes are once they finish explain it, the more it con- eating. There is not one sin- fuses them. So who am I to gle piece of food left. Sun- change their way of life: day is the only rest day they after all they are not doing have during the week. too bad. Why try to imple- These young athletes from ment a diet which these so many different islands of kids are not used to, nor the Pacific, with different can they get access to it? cultures and history, thanks I asked this young Samoan to the Institute have devel- lifter, Ele Opeloge early in oped a special bond. They the year to put on some all speak different lan- weight. 95kg is really not guages but comes heavy enough to compete weightlifting then it against international lifters becomes one family. in the 75+kg category. So Regardless of whether they Sunday lunch at the Coffa’s place she put on 11kg body- compete against each other weight within one month. or not. To my own family, She had no access to pro- well the whole 25 of them himself and burnt himself months pregnant when she tein or vitamins. Far too are part of the family. It is a to death in front of Yukio cleaned 131kg. Nobody expensive to buy and that is fairly unique situation. who was only seven years knew, including me of if you can find them. So In training weightlifting old at the time. He still course. She had a little girl she sticks to local food, belts are shared amongst remembers everything. in September. what her people have eaten the lifters because they can- Manuel Minginfel’s father I don’t know what the for generations. Fish, taro, not afford to buy them. died whilst Manuel was future holds for these lifters breadfruit, coconut, They also share straps and preparing in Nauru for the but they have certainly bananas, pawpaw and sometimes even lifting 2000 Olympics. His moth- given the world of other fruits and vegetable boots. But no-one com- er died shortly after. So he weightlifting, as Mr. Got- which grow in the Pacific. plains. And for some rea- has no parents. tfried Schödl said a few Meat is too expensive. son they all love solid A young 15 year old lifter, years ago, “a breath of fresh Every Sunday, it costs my heavy training sessions. Bronco, also from Nauru, air to our sport”. family a fortune to feed There are times where I will 56kg totaled 220. He has Paul Coffa them. My wife Lilly and my give them a session off and Grade 2 Primary education. children every Sunday, and they become extremely His father has 24 children, P.S.: Countries that are I mean every single Sunday, concerned and ask, “What he has no mother, she died presently represented by get up early to cook for have we done wrong?” a few years ago. Kefilini their lifters at the Institute: them. And this is what my The latest entrant to the from Tonga, her parents American Samoa, Microne- family normally prepares. Institute is a young junior both died last year before sia, Tonga, Cook Islands, 120 pieces of chicken, lots lifter from Kiribati. To get the Commonwealth Fiji, Nauru, Papua New of rice, 5 dozen eggs, sal- to Samoa from Kiribati he Games.