# Paul Wallwork

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{{Short description|Samoan weightlifter, civil servant and sports administrator (1942–2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
'''Seiuli Paul Wallwork''' ''[OM](/source/Order_of_Merit_of_Samoa)'' (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](/source/Commonwealth_Games), winning a Silver in weightlifting at the [1974 British Commonwealth Games](/source/1974_British_Commonwealth_Games) in [Christchurch](/source/Christchurch), [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand). In 1999 he was one of six members of the [International Olympic Committee](/source/International_Olympic_Committee) implicated in the [2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal](/source/2002_Winter_Olympic_bid_scandal).

==Biography==
Seiuli Paul Wallwork was born on 15 January 1942<ref name=BBCShame/> and was educated at [Avele College](/source/Avele_College).<ref>{{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}}</ref> He broke his neck while playing rugby in New Zealand as a youth,<ref name=PIM1983>{{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}}</ref> and began weightlifting to strengthen his leg and arm muscles after the injury left him with paralysis.<ref name=UPI1983>{{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}}</ref> He represented Samoa in the [1966](/source/1966_South_Pacific_Games),<ref>{{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}}</ref> [1969](/source/1969_South_Pacific_Games),<ref>{{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}}</ref> and [1971 South Pacific Games](/source/1971_South_Pacific_Games), winning a gold medal in each.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1968 he moved to [Australia](/source/Australia) to study at the [University of Sydney](/source/University_of_Sydney).<ref name=PIM1983/> In 1969 he won the Australian weightlifting championship, and in 1972 the Australasian.<ref name=PIM1983/> He was offered a place on the Australian team for the [1972 Summer Olympics](/source/1972_Summer_Olympics) but declined as he did not want to renounce his Samoan citizenship.<ref name=UPI1983/><ref>{{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}}</ref> He subsequently represented Samoa in the 1974 Commonwealth Games, winning silver.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

Wallwork later worked as permanent secretary for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Cultural Affairs<ref name=BBCShame/> and headed the organising committee for the [1983 South Pacific Games](/source/1983_South_Pacific_Games).<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1987 Wallwork was appointed to the [International Olympic Committee](/source/International_Olympic_Committee).<ref name=BBCShame>{{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}}</ref> In 1991 he was elected president of the [South Pacific Games Council](/source/Pacific_Games).<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1999 he was expelled from the IOC during the [2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal](/source/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.<ref name=BBCShame/><ref>{{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}}</ref> He subsequently resigned from [Samoa's National Olympic Committee](/source/Samoa_Association_of_Sports_and_National_Olympic_Committee).<ref>{{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}}</ref>

Wallwork later served as president of the [Oceania Weightlifting Federation](/source/Oceania_Weightlifting_Federation)<ref>{{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}}</ref> and president of [Rugby League Samoa](/source/Rugby_League_Samoa).<ref>{{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}}</ref>

Wallwork was appointed to the [Order of Merit of Samoa](/source/Order_of_Merit_of_Samoa) in the [2014 Samoa Honours and Awards](/source/2014_Samoa_Honours_and_Awards).<ref>{{cite news |title=Honours conferred |publisher=Samoa Observer |date=22 December 2014}}</ref>

Wallwork died after a prolonged illness on 14 March 2024, at the age of 82.<ref name=SODeath>{{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}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallwork, Paul}}
Category:1942 births
Category:2024 deaths
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:Weightlifters at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
Category:Medallists at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in weightlifting

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Paul Wallwork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wallwork) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wallwork?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.