Paul Wallwork
{{Short description|Samoan weightlifter, civil servant and sports administrator (1942–2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
Seiuli Paul Wallwork OM (15 January 1942 – 14 March 2024) was a Samoan weightlifter, civil servant, and sports administrator. He was the first Samoan to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games, winning a Silver in weightlifting at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand. In 1999 he was one of six members of the International Olympic Committee implicated in the 2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal.
Biography
Seiuli Paul Wallwork was born on 15 January 1942 and was educated at Avele College.{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/109631 |title=A.C.O.P.A. honours former students |publisher=Samoa Observer |author=Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi |date=12 June 2024 |access-date=13 June 2024}} He broke his neck while playing rugby in New Zealand as a youth,{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-339766360/view?sectionId=nla.obj-356454559 |title=People |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=54 |issue=6 |page=45 |date=1 June 1983 |access-date=26 September 2021 |via=National Library of Australia}} and began weightlifting to strengthen his leg and arm muscles after the injury left him with paralysis.{{cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/09/03/Western-Samoa-Hosts-South-Pacific-Games/2576431409600/ |title=Western Samoa Hosts South Pacific Games |publisher=UPI |date=3 September 1983 |access-date=26 September 2021}} He represented Samoa in the 1966,{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-331795230/view?sectionId=nla.obj-338605588 |title=Noumea Fever Builds Up – As NG Fights For Third Games |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=37 |issue=11 |page=156 |date=1 November 1966 |access-date=26 September 2021 |via=National Library of Australia}} 1969,{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-330240358/view?sectionId=nla.obj-336139077 |title=WEIGHTLIFTERS DO BETTER |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=40 |issue=9 |page=32 |date=1 September 1969 |access-date=26 September 2021 |via=National Library of Australia}} and 1971 South Pacific Games, winning a gold medal in each.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-332062702/view?sectionId=nla.obj-337636914 |title=WEIGHTLIFTERS EXCEL |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=42 |issue=10 |page=34 |date=1 October 1971 |access-date=26 September 2021 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1968 he moved to Australia to study at the University of Sydney. In 1969 he won the Australian weightlifting championship, and in 1972 the Australasian. He was offered a place on the Australian team for the 1972 Summer Olympics but declined as he did not want to renounce his Samoan citizenship.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-334870007/view?sectionId=nla.obj-338903381 |title=In a Nutshell |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=43 |issue=8 |page=129 |date=1 August 1972 |access-date=26 September 2021 |via=National Library of Australia}} He subsequently represented Samoa in the 1974 Commonwealth Games, winning silver.{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3038/55/silver |title=Samoa Silver Medals Christchurch 1974 |publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=26 September 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://www.commonwealthweightlifting.com/newsarchive/docs/2018/OWF%20Newsletter%20Samoa.pdf |title=SAMOA HAS ARRIVED AT THE GOLD COAST |work=OCEANIA WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION Newsletter |date=30 March 2018 |access-date=26 September 2021}}
Wallwork later worked as permanent secretary for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Cultural Affairs and headed the organising committee for the 1983 South Pacific Games.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-339800523/view?sectionId=nla.obj-356492890 |title=Games doubters eat their words |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=54 |issue=11 |page=14 |date=1 November 1983 |access-date=26 September 2021 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1987 Wallwork was appointed to the International Olympic Committee.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/262160.stm |title=The list of shame |publisher=BBC |date=17 March 1999 |access-date=26 September 2021}} In 1991 he was elected president of the South Pacific Games Council.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-342969338/view?sectionId=nla.obj-345845255 |title=New face, new ideas |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=61 |issue=10 |pages=33–37 |date=1 October 1991 |access-date=26 September 2021 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1999 he was expelled from the IOC during the 2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal as his wife had received a $30,000 loan from a Salt Lake City official and his family had received more than $67,000 in travel benefits from Salt Lake City.{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-18-mn-18603-story.html |title=IOC Expels Six Members Linked to Bribery Scandal |work=Los Angeles Times |date=18 March 1999 |access-date=26 September 2021}} He subsequently resigned from Samoa's National Olympic Committee.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/1999/12/07/wallwork-resigns-samoa-ioc |title=WALLWORK RESIGNS FROM SAMOA IOC |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=7 December 1999 |access-date=26 September 2021}}
Wallwork later served as president of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation{{cite web |url=https://iwf.sport/2009/08/03/the-oceania-weightlifting-institute/ |title=The Oceania Weightlifting Institute |publisher=IWF |date=3 August 2009 |access-date=26 September 2021}} and president of Rugby League Samoa.{{cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/first-rugby-league-international-test-match-in-samoa |title=First rugby league international test match in Samoa |publisher=SBSSamoan |date=7 October 2016 |access-date=26 September 2021}}
Wallwork was appointed to the Order of Merit of Samoa in the 2014 Samoa Honours and Awards.{{cite news |title=Honours conferred |publisher=Samoa Observer |date=22 December 2014}}
Wallwork died after a prolonged illness on 14 March 2024, at the age of 82.{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/108434 |title=Samoan sporting pioneer called to rest |publisher=Samoa Observer |date=15 March 2024 |access-date=15 March 2024}}
References
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Category:Samoan male weightlifters
Category:Samoan civil servants
Category:Members of the Order of Merit of Samoa
Category:International Olympic Committee members
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Samoa
Category:Commonwealth Games medallists in weightlifting
Category:Weightlifters at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games