Tag: Paris Olympics

Ex-Centenary State High School Student goes for Gold in Paris

Former Centenary State High School student, Teremoana Teremoana Jr is on a mission: to put the name of his late grandfather’s name, Teremoana Tangauru, into the history books. Since he was a kid, he has visualized being on the Olympic podium with the Australian national anthem playing.

Read: Centenary State High Alum Teremoana Teremoana Punches His Way to Paris Olympics

It’s not always been a smooth road though, as he quit boxing at the age of 19 because he felt he was missing out on all the social activity his friends were enjoying whilst he was in the gym training.

After a two-year break, his determination to build a legacy in the name of his late grandfather brought him back to the sport.

Teremoana recently won a Super Heavyweight Gold medal in the Pacific Games and defeated Abner Teixeira, the Tokyo Heavyweight Bronze medalist. During the fight, Teremoana delivered a brutal combination to Teixeira, causing the Brazilian to steady himself on the ropes to avoid falling. The referee gave Teixeira a standing count and declared the fight over. Teremoana then performed a Cook Islands Haka and seemed to expend more energy doing so than the brutal KO of his opponent.

Be under no illusion this guy is a very serious boxer!

At Centenary State High, he played volleyball and is remembered for his fearsome hitting in the Open Volleyball team. Another Centenary student, Grant Irvine, represented Australia in the Rio Olympics in the 200m Butterfly.

Weighing in at around 120kg, he may well have a considerable weight and power advantage over many in the 92+ kg Super Heavyweight divison.

His coach, Shara Romer and QAS Strength and Conditioning Coach Patrick Castelli have him well prepared for the journey and Teremoana certainly won’t lack family support.

Photo Credit: QAS

His mum is Australian and his dad is from the Cook Islands. His dad got Teremoana into boxing at the age of 12 so that he could look after his sisters. He trains at the Boxing Shop in Salisbury and he will embark on his Paris Olympics campaign from Monday 29 July late evening into Tuesday morning Brisbane time. The fight draw and schedule are yet to be set.

There will then be a four-day break before the quarter finals from the early hours to the morning of 3 August with the semi-finals on 8 August and the final on 11 August at 6:51 a.m. Brisbane time.

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Let’s hope Teremoana can bring a Gold medal back to Inala where he lives.

Stan Sports will show all 329 events live spread across 40 individual channels.

Published 24-July-2024

Centenary State High Alum Teremoana Teremoana Punches His Way to Paris Olympics

Centenary State High School alum Teremoana Teremoana is now aiming for his Olympic gold, after qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Let’s delve into the remarkable journey of this rising star in Australian boxing, whose path from high school athlete to Olympic hopeful is as inspiring as it is impressive.

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Born Teremoana Junior Teremoana, the 2015 Centenary State High School graduate has deep roots in the Cook Islands, though he was raised in Brisbane. His boxing career began at age 12 when his father introduced him to the sport, initially as a means to protect his sisters.

For a decade, boxing was part of Teremoana’s life, but it wasn’t until a personal tragedy that he fully committed to the sport. The loss of his grandfather, his namesake Teremoana Tangauru, just before his 21st birthday became a turning point. 

Teremoana with his grandmother and mother (Photo credit: Boxing Australia/Facebook)

“After I turned 21, I just looked at everything and thought, nah stuff this, I’m going to give it a go, give it a crack, because what can you lose?” Teremoana reflected.

Standing at an imposing 198cm (6’6″) and weighing 122kg, his physical presence is formidable. However, outside the ring, he’s described as quietly spoken and very family-oriented. This gentle giant has proven himself a force to be reckoned with in the boxing world.

In 2023, he claimed the Australian super heavyweight championship. He then secured his Olympic berth at the Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands, where he remained undefeated and claimed gold in the +92kg category.

Photo credit: Boxing Australia/Facebook

Centenary State High School proudly celebrates their alumnus’ achievements, remembering him as a “fearsome ‘hitter'” on the open volleyball team. Now, as Teremoana prepares for the Paris Olympics, his goal is clear: “I don’t want to be good, I want to be great, I want to be the best.”

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This boxing champ from Brisbane is poised to make his mark on the Olympic stage, embodying the spirit of determination that took him from high school sports to the pinnacle of amateur boxing.

Published 2-July-2024