Looking after our physical wellbeing is just as important as looking after our mental wellbeing. Krystal Rota, Rob Gaitau and Cliff Thompson share their experience with mental health vs mental performance and how to get through tough times.

“I would be standing on scales eight times a day, before and after every meal and my happiness was dependent on whatever the scale said to me….I just always felt like I had to lose weight…… I got to a point where I finally felt like I fit this netball aesthetic but behind the scenes, I didn’t realise my body was shutting down.” - Maia Wilson, Silver Ferns Shooter Silver Ferns Maia Wilson and Former Rugby Player Sene Naoupu share their struggles as Pasifika sportswoman and the pressures of being a certain weight and having a certain look, they also openly discuss the dark side of falling into patterns of behaviour that without realising; can take a life of its own.  

Some of our top athletes in the country have gone on to grow their own brands or have had success in other opportunities beyond sports. In this Talanoa Eddy Vaeau, Symone Tafuna’i, and Jerome Mika tell us how this has worked.

“My ultimate, ultimate goal is to be financially stable... Just to look after my parents because they've looked after me and my siblings" - Ali Leiataua We have more young Pasifika athletes than ever before competing in environments where they need the right food to be at their best but protein powders, supplements, gym memberships, and healthy eating are all costs that can be beyond our Pasifika communities. How are we managing - Feeding our dreams?

“How I’ve dealt with retirement is... I’ve just not retired!” Eugene Bareman Join Kevin Senio, Sulu Fitzpatrick, Vania Wolfgramm & Eugene Bareman in this frank, enlightening, and funny discussion about their Life After Sport and the best time to retire.

Navigating the path to the NRL can be challenging for young Pasifika boys, who are often scouted by agents and managers at a young age. This process can be overwhelming for both the players and their parents. To address these challenges, Rugby League legends Nigel Vagana and Ali Lauitiiti are stepping in to provide much-needed guidance. Their aim is to empower Pasifika parents with the knowledge they need to better prepare their children for the journey ahead. From understanding the role of agents and managers to offering support in the sports world, Vagana and Lauitiiti offer insights that bridge the knowledge gap. We invited parents to submit their questions, and Vagana and Lauitiiti responded with advice on topics like whether to work with an agent, how to best support your child’s athletic dreams, and how to handle the inevitable rejections that come with sports. Their wisdom is a valuable resource for any family embarking on the NRL journey. - 01:05 - Is there any advice you’d give support people around being a professional athlete and what that actually involves on the financial advice side of things with their contracts. 05:51 - Going overseas to play what did you learn that can be shared for those going through similar experiences. 08:36 - What are the skills athletes need to be focusing on nowadays if they’re pursuing a career in league or sport. 11:56 - What skills do you think parents or support people need to help their babies/young athletes reach their dreams? 16:30 - What age should I get my kid an agent or manager? 21:10 - Once they get to the stage where they do need an agent, what should they look for? 24:45 - What advice would you give athletes coming through on handling rejection? -

Two Mamas of sporting sons help their boys navigate expectations, agents, sport contracts and managers while also dealing with moving away from home. Also check out our Bonus Video – We asked parents to submit their questions to Ali Lautiiti and Nigel Vagana on: Agents - To have or Not to have, How to Best Support your Child in the Sports World, Handling rejection and much more. See link for this extra at the top of this doc. {{37535}} - Credit Roll: Executive Producer - Natasha Morris Associate Producer - Penina Momoiseā Reporter/Trainee Director- Ashley Stanley Director Mentor & Editor - Tuki Laumea Camera Operators - Terence Muru, Junior Meredith, Michael Hunt and Tuki Laumea Sound Operator - Sefa Taouma and Boon Cong Thanks to: Celia Hau Arama Hau Carmen Taplin Jirah Momoiseā Penina Momoiseā Nigel Vagana Ali Lautiiti

“We are so used to being humble and not looking flash… when I see a Polynesian woman step out like this, it takes a lot of courage because it’s the mainstream they are stepping into. It’s a bigger give back to your community when you decide to be courageous… awhi that more.” Jody Cameron, former Tall Fern and Women's Basketball Coach. Mana wahine share their inspiration of what it means to be female leaders in sports, media, player development, coaching and more.

Food & family are central to Moana/Pacific communities. Our meaai serves more than just something to eat - connecting our relationships, aiga, and ancestry. In this episode we look at what food means to our Pacific and Maori community, how traditional methods have been tweaked for today's tastes for sports people, and what’s changed over time with migration from our homelands.

“There's a certain group that says the equity approach is unfair, and it's people who are used to privilege, who are used to access, and feel like we're taking something away from them, when we say, let's take a needs based approach here because they don't see the problem because they don't live it!” Dr Sereana Naepi, Pacific Researcher & Lecturer If everyone is given the same opportunity or the same resources does this mean the same result? Our panel of experts discuss Equality, Equity and Parity in Sport and the importance of understanding that only if all 3 are applied can you get the same result.

Menstruation is still often a taboo topic for Pasifika people. But what happens if losing your period means much wider things - like not being able to have babies? For women in sport there can be unaddressed issues as a result of overtraining and the stresses of high performance sport on female bodies MMA Fighter Nyrene Crowley and Weightlifter Megan Signal share their journeys with RED-S, a phenomenon that is impacting many female athletes that not many people know about. Thank you City Kickboxing Gym, Kolmar|Papatoetoe Sports, Dan Amosa at SOH and Deidre Stanley 

Our panelists discuss how people move countries to pursue sport opportunities 🌺 By doing so, there are many implications for the ‘new’ home country and the one they left behind ie economic, social etc.

Juggling new motherhood in often isolated countries and continuing a sports career can have big pressures for Pasifika women. Former Silver Fern and Tonga Tala netball player Cathrine Tuivaiti, and Black Ferns Sevens player Dhys Faleafaga share with us a glimpse of their realities as mothers and international sports women.