Former Manu Samoa rugby player Pesetā Fa‘amātuainu To‘oto‘olea‘ava Lama Tone shares how a career-ending neck injury on the field redirected him toward a life of design, teaching, and cultural leadership. Now a Professor of Architecture at the University of Auckland and founder of New Pacific Architecture, Lama opens up about identity, resilience, and how Pacific concepts shape his work.

In this PEP Talk special (recorded in the Covid era, still completely evergreen), Lama reflects on:

• Growing up between Auckland and Samoa, and how village life shaped his values

• The injury in 2001 that left him briefly paralyzed and ended professional rugby

• Returning to university as a mature student, relearning essays, and rediscovering curiosity

• Being the only Pacific student in his architecture class and turning that tension into purpose

• His Master’s thesis, “Designing with Pacific Concepts,” and why culture belongs in contemporary design

• Navigating rejection during the global financial crisis and launching New Pacific Architecture

• The Pacific legacy of navigation — from wayfinding on the ocean to charting a career on land

If you’re looking for a story about reinvention, cultural pride, and creative grit, this one’s for you.

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