{"id":24249,"date":"2026-07-08T03:06:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T03:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=24249"},"modified":"2026-07-08T03:06:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T03:06:00","slug":"strongman-samoa-aims-to-create-new-pathways-for-local-talent-te-ao-maori-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=24249","title":{"rendered":"Strongman Samoa aims to create new pathways for local talent \u2013 Te Ao M\u0101ori News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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I whakaputahia tuatahia t\u0113nei atikara e <\/b>RNZ<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The co-founder of Strongman Samoa hopes the budding sport will provide another avenue for talented young athletes in the country to shine.<\/p>\n

Competitive strongman is gaining momentum in the Pacific, despite limited opportunities for athletes to compete close to home.<\/p>\n

Athletes from Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands gathered in Samoa over the weekend for the second Pacific Strongest competition.<\/p>\n

The event stands apart from traditional strongman contests by incorporating some unique Pasifika elements and challenges.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Strongman Samoa co-founder Masi Peter Anae hopes the event gives Samoan youth another avenue to showcase their natural strength. Photo credit: Supplied via RNZ <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since its establishment in 2023, Strongman Samoa has helped to grow the sport locally and attract competitors from across the region.<\/p>\n

For Strongman Samoa co-founder Misa Peter Anae, what makes Pacific Strongest unique is not the weights being lifted but the sand they are lifted on.<\/p>\n

\u201cMajority of these athletes, or I think all of them, this is their first time competing on sand. Doing those keg runs is hard; doing it on the sand is twice as hard,\u201d Anae said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sand was not, you know, the favourite event, but it\u2019s good that it put them in that uncomfortable environment. But they all did well.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the athletes\u2019 reactions were priceless.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, I remember the first time they [did the exercises on the sand], the look on their faces, especially the ones [for] who it\u2019s the first time they\u2019re doing it on the day. [I\u2019m like] sorry, sorry, but not sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anae said none of this would be possible without sponsors who believed in their vision – an event that promotes healthy lifestyles and brings economic benefits to Samoa.<\/p>\n

For him, it all comes back to what the sport makes people feel.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Athletes from Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands gathered in Samoa over the weekend for the second Pacific Strongest competition. Photo credit: Supplied via RNZ <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cStrongman, for me, is a very entertaining, spectacular sport; you don\u2019t have to know strong men to be entertained. You watch it, and you just feel motivated, you feel supportive, and then feel inspired- all of those feelings,\u201d Anae said.<\/p>\n

He hopes it gives Samoan youth another avenue to showcase their natural strength outside the more technical sport of powerlifting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you just want to be strong and fit, there\u2019s another sport that you can, but yeah, do. It is just another sport; we can all funnel all this talent that we have in Samoa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strongman local phenomenon<\/h3>\n

Laauoleolaimalua Sao Fereti, who won the Open Men\u2019s division, is a local who started strongman training with his friends two years ago.<\/p>\n

Inspired by social media buzz around Strongman Samoa, he said one of his friends gave it a try and came back saying how awesome and fun it was.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very next Saturday, we all went down to check it out together. I\u2019m the type of person who loves a challenge that is fun but also truly showcases raw strength-that\u2019s exactly what I found in this sport,\u201d Fereti said.<\/p>\n

Fereti said doing exercises in the sand was a completely different experience compared to competing on a concrete floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sand adds a layer of unpredictability; every time your feet sink in, your whole body has to instantly adjust to keep your balance,\u201d he said, adding that the duck walk into a sled pull really highlighted this.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sled kept sinking into the sand, which meant I had to constantly work to keep it moving. It forces you to be reactive and stable in a way a gym floor never will,\u201d Fereti said.<\/p>\n

Fereti said he saw the huge potential women showed at Pacific Strongest, embodying the Samoan proverb \u201cE au le inailau a tamaitai\u201d, <\/i>which translates to \u201cWomen hold strength and capability to achieve anything\u201d. <\/i><\/p>\n

He said his coach told him something on his very first day that has stuck with him: \u201cStrongman is an uncomfortable sport. It\u2019s full of awkward moments, heavy loads, and real challenges – but that\u2019s exactly why it\u2019s so much fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat<\/h3>\n

Kuini Kwan Jr, who represented New Zealand, won the Under-91kg women\u2019s category.<\/p>\n

She had spent three months preparing for the Under-82kg category, dropping from 89kg to 82kg through training and nutrition.<\/p>\n

But days before the event, the other athletes in her division withdrew, forcing her to reconsider her plans. Just before travelling to Samoa, Kwan also suffered a painful knee injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cThankfully, I was able to manage it enough to compete,\u201d Kwan said.<\/p>\n

With no competitors left in her division, Kwan made the last-minute decision to move up to the Under-91kg class and take on heavier weights than she had been preparing for.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Competitive strongman is gaining momentum in the Pacific, despite limited opportunities for athletes to compete close to home. Photo credit: Supplied via RNZ <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThat meant taking on heavier weights than I had spent months preparing for, but I didn\u2019t want all of the hard work to go to waste. Looking back now, I\u2019m really glad I made that decision,\u201d Kwan said.<\/p>\n

Kwan said Pacific Strongest is her favourite strongman competition to compete in.<\/p>\n

She praised the organisers Ryan Walker and Anae, noting that despite it being only the second year of the competition, it felt like an event that had been running for many years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe atmosphere was awesome and the whole weekend was so well organised. It was definitely worth making the trip to Samoa,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Anae said the goal is for Pacific Strongest to become a pathway to international competitions such as the Official Strongman Games, Giants Live and, ultimately, the World\u2019s Strongest Man.<\/p>\n

N\u0101 Atereano Mateariki n\u014d RNZ<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n
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I whakaputahia tuatahia t\u0113nei atikara e RNZ The co-founder of Strongman Samoa hopes the budding sport will provide another avenue for talented young athletes in the country to shine. Competitive strongman is gaining momentum in the Pacific, despite limited opportunities for athletes to compete close to home. Athletes from Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Australia, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":976,"featured_media":24250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[273],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-powerlifting-news"],"yoast_head":"\nStrongman Samoa aims to create new pathways for local talent \u2013 Te Ao M\u0101ori News - World Bodybuilding News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=24249\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Strongman Samoa aims to create new pathways for local talent \u2013 Te Ao M\u0101ori News - World Bodybuilding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I whakaputahia tuatahia t\u0113nei atikara e RNZ The co-founder of Strongman Samoa hopes the budding sport will provide another avenue for talented young athletes in the country to shine. 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