In 2008, Samoa hosted the South Pacific Body Building Championship, and the urge for me to compete was overwhelming. But first, we had to assemble a local Samoan team. Because of my New Zealand competition experience, I took on the responsibility to assist with our local team preparations for the upcoming competition.

It was a tough competition as local body builders, have never beaten the New Zealand based Samoans. This is due to the fact that these competitors had access to better gyms, personal trainers, nutrition, supplements and better facilities. I was the only local representative in our Samoan team for the Pacific Championship that year, which was held in concert with our National “Mr Samoa” competition. I didn’t think I could win the title outright as it had eluded me all these years. But, that night was to be my time. I won the big trophy, the “Mr. Samoa Overall Champ.” I was humbled as the Honourable Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi presented me with the envied trophy.

I thought back to when I first had the dream of being “Mr Samoa” and finally it became a reality. I don’t know where the patience came. I guess good things take time. South Pacific Body Building champs on this same night did not go my way coming away with a Silver medal and I was happy as was better than the Bronze from the previous year. In 2009 I planned to compete again, only this time I wanted to get a Gold Medal at the Pacific Games. I get frustrated when I don’t achieve set goals. It was not fear of failure, but I wanted to do well. So I once again I adjusted my diet and trained even harder. I had Gold in my sights. And at our “Mr Samoa” Nationals again that year and I won it the second time, but I wanted more. I wanted gold at the next Pacific Games in Tahiti in the following month. This time, I left no stones unturned, trained my “bum off” and …. it paid off! I won my first Pacific Games Gold medal. It took three years to get there, but I made it!

I don’t know where the patience came from but I find it difficult to move on with life without achieving something I believe I can achieve. I was still haunted by my failure to win gold in 2007. I felt like I let my country down.