Samoa International Events 2014 Awards

The Samoa International Events 2014 Awards was held at Connexions Cafe on Tuesday night. Here are the Award winners.

Bluesky Triathlete of the Year
Darren Young, 42 yrs

The winner of the Bluesky Award is the legendary Darren Young. It was a big year for Darren. In March, he completed his very first full Ironman (Taupo - 3.8km swim, 190km bike, 42km marathon). He was the first of five Samoans competing that day to cross the finish line. Next, he raced in four of the Bluesky Triathlon Series Championship division and won every race. The points system was against him in the final tally. Next on the radar, was the international Samoa Warrior Race Half Ironman. Darren finished fifth. He was the first Age Grouper behind the four pro athletes to cross the line. He was also the first Samoan local to finish – something he has done now two years in a row.
Achievements:
• First full Ironman (Taupo, March) first of the five Samoans to cross the line
• Won four out of five races in the BlueskySamoa Triathlon Series
• Fifth overall in the Samoa Warrior Race / Half Ironman distance, first Age Grouper to finish also first local to cross the line
Other nominees: Dave Leng and Daniel Afoa

Bluesky Junior Triathlete of the Year
Gideon Mulitalo, 11yrs
Winner of the Bluesky Award - Gideon completed his season of junior triathlons this year. He won every race of the U10 Tamatoa Tri, five races. He turned 11yrs during the year. His biggest achievement by far however was completing the Sprint distance in the Pinktober Triathlon at Lalomanu, a distance of 500m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. That was the longest distance race undertaken by a 13 and under this year, by far. He was the only junior to compete in the Pinktober event.
Achievements:
• Won five races in U10 Tamatoa Tri
• Completed the longest triathlon by an 11 yr old this year - 500m swim, 20km bike and 5km run
• Primary Schools Individual Triathlon champion U10s
Other Nominees: Joshua Small and Durant Webster

Bluesky Female Triathlete of the Year
Malama Tafuna'i, 43 yrs
Doc or Lama, as she is known set out this year to compete in the Warrior Race Half Iron distance, something that was beyond her last year. In doing that Lama, competed in all but one of the five of the Bluesky Samoa Triathlon Series - Main Event / Championship Tri - and completed every race in first place. She was the only female in the Championship category. Then came the Warrior Race, and Lama ticked off that box in fine style when she crossed the finish line in 5th place.
Achievements:
• Bluesky Samoa Triathlon Series - Women's Champion
• Warrior Race Half Ironman sole local female finisher (and participant)
Other nominees: Olivia Hogarth

Bluesky Most improved Triathlete of the Year
Pastor Arthur Mulitalo, 46yrs
Arthur started attending triathlons last year to support his two children that were competing in the Junior triathlons. He got the itch and started to compete. Then in 2014, Arthur competed first in the EN-TRI (entry level), then EN-TRI PLUS and ended the Bluesky Series in the 522 middle distance triathlon. His final tri of the year was the Pinktober tri at Lalomanu (Oct) where he completed the Sprint distance - 500m swim, 20km bike and 5km run - alongside his 11year old son, Gideon. He has come a long way since last year and he lost 30kgs in the process.

Arthur also competed in the Samoa Swim Series 2km distance - and completed 3 swims in 3 days.
Achievements:
• Completed the Bluesky Triathlon Series - graduating in distances during the series
• Competed and finished the Pinktober Triathlon in Oct

BOC Open Water Swimmer of the Year
Samasoni Nimarota, 21
Sam completed his first 10km Swim this year. It was his first marathon swim in the Pacific Open Water Challenge (POWC) in Samoa. The challenge involved two long swims, 10km and 5kms in consecutive days. The amazing thing with Sam's big race was that he was only told by his coach three days before the marathon swim that he was entered into the 10km and 5km swims. Previously his longest swim had been 4kms. It's like telling a 10km runner that he was doing a full marathon three days out from the race. Sam is the first local to complete the POWC challenge. Sam has the highest total of kilometers swum in races this year - a total of 43.6kms.
Achievements:
• Finisher - Pacific Open Water 10km & 5km Swims in consecutive days
• Highest local total of racing kms swum in 2014 - 43.6kms
• Finished 7th overall in the Independence Swim
• Competed in his second Samoa Swim Series this year

ANZ Runner of the Year
Malama Tafuna’i, 43yrs
Malama's running goal this year was to run her first marathon (in addition to her triathlon goals). She did that in June, the only female to run the Samoa full marathon. She followed this up a month later with a top three finish in the Lalomanu Half Marathon. Malama also ran in a team in the 104km Perimeter Relay at the end of August. So a great running year for Doc.
Achievements:
• Ran her first full marathon ever, the only female in the Samoa Marathon lineup (June) - finished 1st place.
• Finished 3rd in the Lalomanu Half Marathon a month later (July)
• First female in King of Vaea 6km Trail run

Ford Samoa Supreme Cyclist of the Year
Elia Lasa, 25
Elia is the only Cyclist to cycle around Upolu and Savaii twice within two weeks. The first was in the Ford 3-Day Cycle Challenge (337kms) where he finished 3rd. Two weeks later he was the lone survivor in the 24-Hr Cycle Challenge around both islands taking a slightly longer route (363kms).

Achievements:
• 3rd (1 of 3 finishers) in the Ford Samoa 3-Day Cycle challenge - 337kms
• Sole survivor in the around Upolu & Savaii 24-Hr Cycle Challenge 363kms

Village Life Group International Athlete of the Year
Reece Southall, 15
Reece came to Samoa with his parents to compete in the Pacific Open Water Challenge (10km & 5km), and the Samoa Swim Series 3 Great swims in 3 Days. In total - a distance of 27kms in six days. Reece took out the 10km and 5kms swims to win outright the POWC (22 competitors). In the SSS that followed (3 great swims in 3 days) Reece swam the long course and also ran away with the outright win - out of 130 international swimmers.

Achievements:
• Pacific Open Water Champion (10km & 5kms) a Marathon Swim & Half Marathon swim in consecutive days
• Samoa Swim Series champion - won three 4km races outright

BOC Special Award – Coach of the Year
Brent McCarthy – Brent spends a lot of his own time and money to coach swimming in villages. Earlier this year Brent and his team spent every Saturday at Lefaga teaching up to twenty youngsters the techniques of swimming. He has a new village now, every Saturday morning he is at Saoluafata village teaching kids in the lagoon. Well done Brent.

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