In his younger days, Usaia Naiteitei Sotutu, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was an extraordinary track and field athlete admired by many.
In a Fiji Sun article about Sotutu this week, a former fellow athlete, Alifereti Cawanibuka, said he was “a dedicated athlete with a strong work ethic and pride for his country. He said Sotutu was a role model for our athletes.”
President of the Pacific Games Council, Vidhya Lakhan, said Sotutu came from a mould of athletes from a different era who made sacrifices and took great pride in representing the country.
In his track and field exploits, Sotutu appeared for Fiji in “five South Pacific Games winning eight gold, four silver and two bronze medals. He competed in the 1971 World Games in Stockholm and 1972 Munich Olympic Games.”
He was inducted in the Fijian Hall of Fame in 1992 to honour his 13-year athletic career.
Sotutu joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, U.S.A. He then served a two-year mission for the Church in Fiji.
He now lives in Kent, Washington, U.S.A. where he works for the Boeing aviation company.
Read the full story in the Fiji Sun.