Bodybuilding champion Peni Opeti-Finau is harnessing his training attitude to succeed in welding lessons. The Mangere resident has won six of nine bodybuilding competitions in the past four years.

The life lessons he gained from the sport are helping him master Welding Micro-credentials at Future Skills Academy, he says. “I learned at the gym that if you want to be a winner, you have to find time to work out, you have to work hard, then you get results. If you want to turn a vision into reality, you have to give 100 per cent and never stop believing in your dream. You must have a strong passion, dedication, consistency and motivation so I used that great attitude and applied it to my welding course.”

Peni is edging closer to finishing the programme which is aiding his own mobile mechanic business. “I am going to miss the course but I know that I’m going to do fine with my business after learning all about welding,” he says. “Thanks to Future Skills Academy for allowing me to be a part of the team.” The 38-year-old praises the wide range of welding tools and equipment spanning the workshop. “My tutor Joseph Hanfiro is the best. He understands everyone’s situation and helps us comprehend the practical lessons. I’m so lucky to be in his class.”

Peni’s tutor and fellow classmates cheered him on at his latest competition- the New Zealand International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Body of Steel championship in August. "The house was so full but I could still hear people calling my name," he says. Peni took gold and silver in the under 170 cm height class of Men's physique at Glenfield College's Kaipatiki Theatre. "I was happy with the results because my goal was to beat the guys who beat me in the last show." In 2019, he finished fourth in the same competition and three other men claimed the first three places. "This year, I came first and they came second to fourth." A newcomer to the sport, this marks his second year competing in the federation competition. "The other guys have been competing for years in this, the top federation in New Zealand." 

Married with eight children, Peni was born and raised in Tonga. He moved to New Zealand in 2000 and went on to study Automotive Engineering. Peni worked as a mechanic during the day and as a warehouse operator at night before last year realising the dream to run his own business. “I had lost hope and thought I would spend the rest of my life working for someone,” he says. “But bodybuilding changed my life.” It gave him the mindset needed to achieve the goal, he says.