Tonga taekwondo practitioner and skier Pita Taufatofua is based in Australia and practises taekwondo and skis. Taufatofua became well-known for his dashing entry at the Tokyo Summer Olympics’ opening ceremony. He was oiled and shirtless and that clip went viral on the internet and quickly became an internet sensation overnight. Apart from this, he is well-known for his devotion to his love for his country, as well as his enthusiasm.
Early Life
Pita was born on the 5th of November, 1983, in the country of Australia. It is believed that his father is of Tongan heritage and that his mother is of Australian and British descent. He began training in taekwondo when he was five years old. His youth includes typical Tongan pastimes such as Saturday farmwork picking cassava, which was a family tradition. His early days were so tough as he lived in a one-bedroom with his parents and six siblings in Tonga. Also, his home was shattered completely in a tropical storm.
As an adult, he divides his time between his own country and the Australian city of Brisbane. Pita Taufatofua attended Tonga Side School and Tonga High School before earning a bachelor’s degree from Saint Peter’s Lutheran College in Brisbane, Australia, in the year 2000. He holds an engineering degree and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in environmental engineering. He has also worked as a model since the age of eighteen when he first started.
Pita Taufatofua Career
Severely injured throughout his career, Pita Taufatofua has spent three months in a wheelchair, one year and a half on crutches, and hundreds of hours in physiotherapy, according to one source. In February, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, he beat the world’s 15th ranked fighter 4-3 to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. He’d tried twice to get into the Olympics. Taekwondo Olympian Tonga’s first He opened with Tonga’s flag. Taufatofua carried Tonga’s flag at the 2016 Rio Olympics Parade of Nations. During the parade, he only wore a taovala, his face and torso glowing. Many assumed he was overheating, but he had rubbed oil all over his torso. Taufatofua’s oiled-up, shirtless look went viral.
In his debut match, Taufatofua was crushed 16-1 by Iranian Sajjad Mardani. Taufatofua appeared at the closing ceremony dressed as the Parade of Nations. This time, Taufatofua led his nation in the Opening Ceremonies of 2021, with Malia Paseka, a taekwondo competitor. Taufatofua announced his plans to cross-country ski in December 2016. Instructed by professional races on YouTube, he hones so he’s already qualified in roller ski races and simply needs to qualify on snow. Taufatofua formed a training group with Mexican German Madrazo and Chilean Yonathan Fernández. Taufatofua’s final chance came on January 20 in Safjörur, Iceland.
Rise to Glory
Despite snowstorms and an avalanche, Taufatofua qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Iceland. Sous-athletes will compete in the same event. A taovala mat encircled his waist, exposing an oiled chest and torso. Pre-ceremony, he told the media he would not walk shirtless. To date, his best finish in the 15km freestyle race is 114th out of 119. Taufatofua will attempt to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in sprint canoeing. “My ancestors did it for thousands of years when they colonized the Polynesian islands,” he told the BBC. At the World Canoe Sprint Championships in Hungary in August, he came last. The K-1 200m event at the Oceania continental qualifying in February 2020 was required for qualification. That failed.
Pita Taufatofua Biography |
|
|---|---|
| Real Name | Pita Nikolas Taufatofua |
| Birth Date | 5 November 1983 |
| Age (as of 2021) | 37 Years |
| Birth Place | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Nationality | Tongan |
| Profession | Tongan Skier |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sun sign | Scorpio |
Physical Statistics |
|
 |
|
| Height | in feet inches – 6’ 3” – in Centimeters – 192 cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms – 100 kg – in Pounds – 220 lbs |
| Chest Size | 43 Inches |
| Waist Size | 32 Inches |
| Biceps Size | 17 Inches |
| Shoe Size | 12 (U.S.) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Body Type | Athletic |
Family |
|
| Father | Not Known |
| Mother | Not Known |
| Sister | Not Known |
| Brother | Not Known |
Qualification/Education |
|
| School | Tonga High School |
| College | Saint Peter’s Lutheran College |
Relationship Status |
|
 |
|
| Marital Status | Single |
| Affair | No |
| Girlfriend | None |
Personal Life
Pita Taufatofua is currently not in a relationship with anyone. He is not married, and he is not a parent, thus he is not a father. All of his attention is concentrated on his taekwondo training as well as future Olympic competitions and his goal of becoming an Olympic champion. In his current social media presence, Pita Taufatofua has 204K followers and 1007 followings, and he has posted a total of 1078 times. He has also been active on Twitter since September 2016, amassing a total of 8631 followers and 61 following, respectively.
Pita Taufatofua Net Worth
Pita has a total net worth of $5 million dollars, which he has accumulated entirely through his desire, hard work, and dedication to the art of taekwondo. He also provides financial assistance to a number of charitable organizations that are involved in social welfare.
Trivia
- In Tonga and throughout the Pacific, Pita Taufatofua has a dream: to build free exercise facilities for the children of the island nation.
- Taufatofua, the sole representative of Tonga at the 2018 Winter Olympics, was once again the flagbearer for his country in the Parade of Nations at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
- Pita is the second Tongan to compete in the Winter Olympics. He competed in the Games in Sochi in 2014.
- Taufatofua volunteers at homeless shelters like Sandgate House, where he helps homeless kids learn to live independently. Taufatofua is a UNICEF ambassador and volunteer. He also raises awareness about global warming, which he believes threatens Tonga.
- He represented Tonga at the 2016 Summer Olympics, the 2018 Winter Olympics, and the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
- In February 2020, he qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics for taekwondo, after winning gold in the M+80 kg, his second Olympic competition for the sport.
