Tongan Winter Olympian Pita Taufatofua has spoken about his objective at this year's PyeongChang games, hoping to show the next generation of Pacific athletes what's possible for them.
After making the switch from taekwando to cross-country skiing following his participation at the 2016 Olympic in Rio de Janeiro, Taufatofua is Tonga's sole representative at this year's Winter games in PyeongChang.
However, speaking to media yesterday, Taufatofua says his participation is more of a symbolic statement, rather than that of a medal prospect.
"The goal was to qualify, and in doing so, to open doors for the kids who are watching - in Tonga in Polynesia and the Pacific - to show them that there's more opportunities, to show them that there is a Winter Olympics," he said.
"On a personal level, my goal was to qualify and I achieved that goal."
"From a bigger level, for something that was much bigger than myself - it was what can I do with this? How can I inspire someone to be at the next Olympics."
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