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3 months ago
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Footy star Tiana Penitani is one of the toughest women in Australian sport and now she has revealed how the tragic death of her founder helped give her that strength.
The hard-running Cronulla Sharks centre has represented her state and her country in rugby league, along with an emotional one-off appearance for Tonga at international level.
Before that, she was one of Australia's youngest ever representatives at a Rugby World Cup at just 17.
Her career, experience and intimate knowledge of the game earned her a place on the voting panel for both the World Rugby Men's Sevens Player of the Year and the World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year in 2019.
She is also a rising media star, hosting ABC TV's That Pacific Sports Show along with former Super Rugby star Sam Wykes.
On the surface, it seems to have come easy for the 28-year-old, who has dominated two footy codes and is laying the platform for a huge future once she retires.
An emotional Tiana Penitani has spoken about the impact her father's death has had on her sporting career and life
Tiana is pictured as a baby being held by her father Solomon, who was tragically murdered when she was 12 years old
Penitani has forged her own way in life despite the a terrible tragedy of her dad's murder when she was just 12 years old.
Footy is in the family's blood, with her father Solomon playing rugby for Tonga and the family spending weekends watching him playing local footy for Maroubra in Sydney's east.
Solomon loved his family and was completing a sleeve tattoo that ultimately, accidentally caused his downfall.
The 36-year-old was shot and killed at Churchill's Sports Bar in Kingsford at 4am while celebrating finishing his tattoo.
It was a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Penitani currently plays for Cronulla in the NRLW competition after being poached from rugby
The hard-running centre also represents New South Wales and Australia while she has also played an international for Tonga, just like her dad
Now, speaking on the Keegan and Company Mental Health and Sport Podcast, she has revealed the lessons she learned from that tragic moment and how it has shaped her life.
'Not many people can say that one of their parents was murdered,' she said.
'And for me looking back as a 28-year-old now, it taught me the value of life.
'And I know everything that I've kind of been through ...' she said before her tears got the better of her.
'Everything that I've been through in life, I guess, I will always draw back to that experience that I had as a 12 year old.
'Some days I'm good, some days I'm not so good.'
Penitani said while there were good days and bad, the pain of losing her father meant that she has the strength to face any of life's challenges now
The footy star is also a rising personality in the media world, hosting her own ABC podcast
Whenever things get tough, she knows she faced the darkest days any child could imagine and came out the other side.
'Reflecting on all of the tough times and the injuries and setbacks and s**t days that I've had, I guess from that day onwards, I will always draw back to the worst time in my life, which was then losing my dad under those circumstances,' she continued.
'I've always been one to say I've been through worse. And it's been worse for me.
'I got out of that and we got out of that tough time.'
Followers of the podcast have praised Penitani for showing the strength to speak about such an unspeakable tragedy.
'I’m so amazed and shocked that she made it this far in her career and never uses her tragic experience as an excuse, she deserves all the success,' one posted.
Another added: 'Conducts herself really well. Big ups to you Tiana, great role model for young girls.'
'What a sad story but Tiana as a mum (with a daughter named Tiana too!) I know your dad would be incredibly proud of you, your siblings and your Mum,' replied another.
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