Going the distance to stop Pasifika drownings

By Nick Edlin

NZ Herald·

17 Apr, 2015 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Tipalelupe Lala Tapuai Tuua thinks swimming is a good form of exercise to help Pacific people get healthy and reduce their high diabetes and obesity rates.

One competitor in King of the Bays trained with one aim in mind — to get his people to be safe in water.

Hundreds of swimmers will race in the King of the Bays event on Auckland's North Shore today, but one competitor has a special motivation for taking part.

Tipalelupe Lala Tapuai Tuua, or Lala as he is known, will swim the 2.8km course and is hoping to raise awareness of two things that affect Pacific Island people.

"In terms of statistics, a lot of Pacific people die in the water," says Lala, who was born in Samoa but lives in Auckland. "That's the main reason I want to do the swim - to encourage our people to learn to swim."

He also wants to be a role model for leading an active, healthy lifestyle.

"There is a lot of sickness and health issues with Pacific Island people - diabetes, obesity. [I want] to motivate our people, and I think swimming is one of the best exercises."

Lala, a language teacher at the Southern Cross campus in Mangere, taught himself how to swim when he was living in Wellington. He says the key to gaining confidence in the water is to start slowly and take things step by step - or stroke by stroke.

"You can't just jump in the sea if you haven't learned how to swim," he says. "I started in the pool. In a swimming pool there's no current - you can swim as long as you can because there's no pressure in the water. When I started I would swim two laps and have a rest."

He quickly built up his lung capacity, however, and it wasn't long before he was swimming long distances. He now swims 1.5km at Auckland's Kohimarama Beach every week, and regularly takes part in the Stroke and Stride event. He says for Pacific people, learning to swim properly, rather than just paddling around, is hugely important.

"In my view a lot of Pacific people can swim, but I think [they lack] the technique to stay in the water long."

Beyond just swimming safety, however, Lala wants to demonstrate the benefits of regular exercise.

"Most Pacific males don't reach the age of 80," he says. "A lot die around 65. That's one of the main motivations for me - to live a long and healthy life."

Scott Rice, the organiser of the State Ocean Swim Series events, says Lala is a great role model.