Painful road to Rio - Tonga’s first Taekwondo Olympian has no regrets

Pita Taufatofua, Tonga’s first Olympic Taekwondo athlete, will aim for gold at the Rio Olympics competing in the Men’s +80kg division on Saturday 20 August. A lifetime of pain and struggle was worth every moment to reach the Olympics, says Pita when reflecting on his journey to becoming an Olympian. It cost him six broken bones, three torn ligaments, three months in a wheelchair, a year and a half on crutches and hundreds of hours of physiotherapy, and he has no regrets.