Tonga’s Flag-Bearer on How He Learned to Ski on a Beach.
‘I had people ask me, ‘Will you use coconut oil as ski wax?’’
As the 2016 Summer Olympics kicked off in Rio, Pita Taufatofua entered Maracanã Stadium carrying the flag of Tonga, a small island nation of only 171,000 inhabitants. While his fellow Olympians were decked out in custom Ralph Lauren, Armani and Lacoste gear, Pita opted for something a little more traditional. Within minutes, Pita and his attire were a hit, and a photo of the Tongan flag-bearer was seen and shared hundreds of millions of people around the world.
The instant fame might have been a shock, but what came next was even more unexpected. Pita lost his opening match in Taekwondo, ending a twenty-year Olympic journey before it had really begun. Facing a four-year wait until the next Summer Games, Pita decided to set his sights on a much different goal. Only months after his time in Rio ended, and with just under a year until the 2018 Opening Ceremonies, a Taekwondo competitor from Tonga switched to cross-country skiing — a sport he had never tried before.
We chatted with Pita over email about what it took to become a multi-sport Olympian, how the Olympic experience differs from what the world sees, and why he wore what he wore.
GRANDSTAND CENTRAL: You’ve said that the first time you thought about becoming a cross-country skier was after you had competed in Rio. Why did you pick skiing and what made you set your sights on PyeongChang?
Pita Taufatofua: The first time I ever put on skis was in January 2017. I chose cross-country skiing because I had a newfound love for snow and it was the hardest sport possible I could think of. I wanted a challenge. I wanted to see if I could qualify for a new sport within a year and with a sport that was extremely challenging but also a sport I respected a lot.
GSC: Tonga isn’t exactly known for snow. How did people react when you told them that you were training for the Winter Olympics?
Pita: I don’t think the same way as most people :) and most people know it. What they do know is that whatever impossible challenges I set myself I have three rules 1) Always show up 2) Never give up 3) Fail happy.
GSC: What was the best reaction?
Pita: Soo many funny reactions, I had things all the way from ‘he will never do it’ to ‘will he use coconut oil as ski wax’?
GSC: How did you train in Tonga without snow?
Pita: I trained mainly on roller skis. I would also tie pieces of wood to my feet and run on the sand to try and find balance. It was very difficult :).
GSC: Have you ever seen the movie Cool Runnings?
Pita: I have, one of the funniest movies I have ever seen!
“I would tie pieces of wood to my feet and run on the sand to try and find balance.”
GSC: You qualified for PyeongChang on the last possible day at an event in Iceland. How was the moment compared with when you qualified for Rio?
Pita: All the pressure I had put on myself just disappeared in that moment. I was both relieved and happy I had achieved the dream. I was also excited that I had opened up a door for a future Tongan athlete to one day come through and win for Tonga :).
GSC: The viral photo of you as Tonga’s flag-bearer was one of the more memorable and talked-about images from Rio. Can you explain the significance of what you wore?
Pita: For me the whole thing was about representing the history of my people. I was told not to wear what I wore but to wear what we had been told to wear for the last 50 years with western influence. I said no, I’m going to wear what my ancestors wore to war for 1000 years.
GSC: Did people treat you differently within the athletic community after the photo went viral?
Pita: They were very positive. That moment only represented 20 minutes of 20 years of pain and struggle to get to that moment.
GSC: Do you plan to wear the same thing for this year’s opening ceremonies?
Pita: South Korea will be -20. I need to be alive for my race.
GSC: If you could speak to the entire world for a minute, what would you tell them about Tonga that might surprise them or change their view of the country?
Pita: That the people of Tonga will welcome you into their home. They will feed you and look after you without even knowing you. You will feel that they are laughing at you when really they laugh and are happy about everything. They joke a lot. We are a happy people.
GSC: One of the biggest stories going into Pyeongchang is the participation of North Korea. Whether it’s during qualifying events or within the Olympic Village, how often do conversations about politics come up between athletes, and how are they handled?
Pita: All the time. Athletes aren’t robots, they have views on the world. I think it’s important that as representatives of countries that people look up to, it is our responsibility as athletes to show the world that we can come together and enjoy each other’s cultures. This is the Olympic creed, about people coming together.
GSC: What part of the Olympic or Olympian experience does the world fail to see or understand?
Pita: People make the mistake of focusing on medals. Athletes also make this mistake and base their whole life upon a medal whilst failing to see the lessons about struggle and adversity that all Olympians and all people go through. Everyone is on a journey and it’s the beauty of the journey, the people in it that we should be focusing on.
