By Staff Writer
National sports icon, Seiuli Paul Wallwork, passed away today after a long terminal illness.
He was 82 years old, born 15 January 1942.
Seiuli was a career teacher by profession and was a former principal of Avele College.
He was at one time also, head of the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture before it merged with the Ministry of Education.
Together with his wife Julia Wallwork, they contributed much to community support work through direct service contributions.
Seiuli, however, was legendary in sports as a champion weightlifter at the national and international level.
On retirement as an athlete he became a sports administrator who was behind the first South Pacific Games hosted by Samoa in 1983.
He was also directly involved as a member of the South Pacific Games Council and the International Olympic Committee.
His lifetime contribution to sports as an athlete and administrator was capped off by being appointed a Member of the Samoa Order Of Merit at the 2014 Honours Award ceremony.
Below are a few key highlights listed on Wikipedia of Seiuli and his lifetime achievements :
- He was the first Samoan to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games, winning a Silver in weightlifting at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.
- He represented Samoa in the 1966, 1969, and 1971 South Pacific Games, winning a gold medal in each.
- In 1968 he moved to Australia to study at the University of Sydney.
- In 1969 he won the Australian weightlifting championship, and in 1972 the Australasian.
- He was offered a place on the Australian team for the 1972 Summer Olympics but declined as he did not want to renounce his Samoan citizenship.
- He subsequently represented Samoa in the 1974 Commonwealth Games, winning silver.
- He later worked as permanent secretary for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Cultural Affairs and headed the organising committee for the 1983 South Pacific Games.
- In 1987 Wallwork was appointed to the International Olympic Committee.
- In 1991 he was elected president of the South Pacific Games Council.
- He later served as president of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation and president of Rugby League Samoa.