Tonga’s first female Olympic boxer, Fe’ofa’aki A Kakau ‘Epenisa, is set to represent the Tonga at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in the women’s middleweight class. ‘Fe’ofa’aki qualified for this year’s Olympics through a wildcard, or universality spot, and placed to compete in the women’s 60kg boxing division.
She was a silver medalist at the 2023 Pacific Games, losing to Tina Rahimi (AUS) in the final. Since her debut in 2019, the 28-year-old boxer has become a symbol of pride for her Tongan heritage, embodying the warrior spirit with every punch.
Despite living in California, Fe’ofa’aki who migrated from Vava’u, remains deeply connected to her roots and is a proud member of the Tongan Boxing Association.
“Never could I have imagined a little brown girl from Vava’u, running barefoot through the streets of Masilamea and Leimatu’a, lole sainisi stains on her fingers, scars from dog and mosquito bites and scratches often from a tree-climbing endeavor involving a neighbors fruit tree; would one day carry Tonga boxing onto a world stage,” she said on her GoFundMe page.
‘Epenisa has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her journey to the Olympics. “Every little bit helps and means the world to me,” she said.
