Fiji’s former world power-lifting champion, Epeli Ligairi, who was told he would be confined to a wheelchair for life, miraculously recovered and made a comeback.
An article published in The Fiji Times on December 15, 1990 reported the Nabalebale, Vanua Levu, villager said it was by the grace of God that he was saved. Mr Ligairi, who was involved in a motorcycle crash on April 6 that same year in California, defied doctor’s orders and removed the plaster casting on his legs three months ago at Suva Point.
He said his legs had swollen and doctors said they would amputate them.
“I was a cripple, but I now know that God had a plan for me. That’s why he saved my life,” Mr Ligairi said.
“I just had the urge to cut the plaster open and I did it with the help of a few boys.”
Doctors in California, where he was currently living, had told him his power-lifting career was over as he would be confined to a wheelchair. When he was able to walk properly again, Mr Ligairi wanted to go out to acknowledge forgotten champs in various sports.
“Almost everyone still thinks I’m finished. This will be the greatest comeback. I will return and lift with broken hands, legs and torn ligaments.”
The 37-year-old who was also a former Hawaiian, US national and US Air Force champ, said he was disappointed with how people in Fiji regarded their national reps after they had performed at international meets.
He said compared with the US, where all national reps in any sport were always acknowledged during and after his stance in the limelight, Fiji had a long way to go to achieve “that sense of obligation’.
Mr Ligairi’s first title overseas was when he won the Hawaii State championship in 1975. He retained it until 1977. This title enabled him a place in the US national championship which he also won, giving him greater access to top training in the US.
In 1981, he became the first Pacific Islander to win the world title.
