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Australia’s super-heavyweight boxing champion, Teremoana Junior Teremoana.
He’s an imposing 198 centimetres tall and 122 kilograms of muscle and single-minded determination.
The 21-year-old is off to the Solomon Islands for his first Pacific Games.
"My heritage is Cook Islands so to me it’s like, I’m really excited to participate in this because we get to find out who’s the champion of the Pacific and I know it’s going to be me."
Teramoana is one of 72 Australians who will pull on the green and gold for the 17th Pacific Games, joining thousands of athletes from 24 Oceanic nations to compete for regional glory.
Australia has participated since 2015.
It usually does not compete in most Pacific Games events and just sends development squads, but this year is different.
In boxing, gold for Teremoana at these Games means direct qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"I wanna engrave my family's name into like history, if I go to the Olympics, like boom, it's there, or win the gold medal, boom, I've done my job."
She's been called the strongest woman in the Pacific - Champion weightlifter Eileen Chikamatana.
Fijian-born with Tongan and Chinese heritage, this Australian has won gold at consecutive Commonwealth Games, one for each country.
"It’s a dream come true. It’s the biggest opportunity that has ever come in my life. I’m happy and I’m proud to say I represent Australia."
Like Teremoana, for Eileen these games are her first.
Her path to the Olympics will involve more international meets to build her ranking.
But when she’s about to lift, she thinks of only one thing.
"I am my own opponent, I compete within myself and try to be a better athlete than who I was at my last competition."
The competition among the Pacific’s best athletes starts in Solomon Islands next weekend
