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Standing at 134kg Sione Faumuina saw the perils of middle-age staring back at him in the mirror.
But a year of hard work in cross-fit training has the former rugby league star almost back to his playing weight of 103kg, and now he’s pushing his fitness into a new challenge with a boxing debut looming at the Fight For Live promotion in Auckland on April 27.
The 41-year-old is looking to evolve his weight-loss journey off the back of this personal assignment, hoping he can be an inspiration to the Pacific Island community and middle-aged men in general.
Faumuina hasn’t always been inspiring. An outstanding league player, his talent was tarnished by alcohol-fuelled incidents at the New Zealand Warriors and North Queensland Cowboys.
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He played 132 NRL matches and had two stints in the UK Super League but was often troubled by the pressure of the professional game that cost him contracts. He made just two test appearances for the Kiwis.
With Fight For Life’s charity being Mike King’s I Am Hope, which targets the mental health of New Zealand’s youth, things struck a chord with Faumuina.
“I know Mike, we’ve had a few conversations and when he started I Am Hope I thought it was great. His charity and getting behind it was one reason to do this, the other reason was to challenge myself.
“I started a weight-loss journey almost this time last year. Now I’m in a bit better shape, the offer came up, and I thought I’d give it a crack and see how I go.
Fight For Life
Former All Blacks flanker Liam Messam explains his reasons for a Fight For Life apperance
“I was 134kg and knew I had to do something, so I got into cross-fit, and I’m now at about 107kg. I’ve sat around that for the last six months. I’ve tried to make it a bit of a lifestyle and this Fight For Life is a pretty cool step.
“If I was still weighing in at that 134kg, there’s no way I would have said yes to this, they would have had to find a super-super-heavyweight.”
Faumuina, who now lives in Rotorua, said his general well-being, alertness and clarity had improved “massively” as his fitness improved.
“I haven’t really said much about my weight-loss journey, but hopefully I will off the back of this because, especially for Pasifka middle-aged men like myself, we don’t have the best statistics for diabetes and that sort of stuff.
“Once you hit the 40s, it just starts to go downhill. So if I can use this platform as an opportunity to share my weight-loss journey to inspire my community then that will be cool.”
Lawrence Smith/Stuff
Sione Faumuina knew how to take a hit when he was playing for the Warriors.
Faumuina has his hands full on fight night as he takes on former All Blacks Sevens captain DJ Forbes who is a fitness freak.
“DJ is built like a machine, he is probably one of the fittest 40-year-olds in New Zealand at the moment,” Faumuina said.
Faumuina has never boxed and his first sessions have been a wake-up call for a tough eight weeks of training under the guidance of Mike Sykes.
“I don’t know what I’ve signed up for, but we’ll see how it goes,” he laughed. “I did some pad work last week, we went for two minutes and I was gassed and we weren’t even going 100%. This will be quite a journey.”
A mature Fuamuina hasn’t been shy to talk about his personal struggles. His 2016 book The Second Phase was a warts and all account of his battles with alcohol and transitioning into a life outside of rugby league.
He’s back in the league fold, working as an ambassador for the New Zealand Rugby League in the “wellbeing space” and he’s determined to get involved in the local scene in Rotorua to give back to the sport that gave him so many opportunities.
AT A GLANCE – FIGHT FOR LIFE 2023
Charity: Mike King’s I Am Hope
Professional bouts:
IBO Super Bantamweight World Title: Mea Motu (NZ 15-0-0) v Tania Walters (CAN 4-1-0)
IBF Middleweight Pan Pacific Title and WBO Middleweight Global Title: Andrei Mikhailovich (NZ 19-0-0) v Edisson Saltarin (VNZ, 16-0-0)
Light heavyweight professional fight: Jerome Pampellone (NZ,15-0-0) v Mose Auimatagi (NZ, 15-2-2)
Rugby League v Rugby Union bouts:
Justin Hodges (Aus) v Liam Messam (NZ)
Roy Asotasi (NZ) v Sam Tuitupou (NZ)
Sione Faumuina (NZ) v DJ Forbes (NZ)
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