It was a whirlwind trip to Paris for Blenheim franchise owner, Elu Tataua, but he found time to represent CrestClean at one of the world’s most iconic landmarks – the Eiffel Tower.
Elu moved to New Zealand from Tuvalu in January. Before his move, he served as the Secretary General for Tuvalu’s National Olympic Committee from 2019 and went to Paris as part of the Olympic Family. He also attended the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, but challenges from covid meant that experience was completely different from his recent time in Paris. In Tokyo, heavy security and strict regulations limited his movements, preventing him from interacting with athletes or doing any sightseeing.
“I would go straight from the hotel to the event and back. I couldn’t go anywhere else,” he says.
Elu says his experience at the Paris Olympics was completely different.
“The energy from the crowd was amazing. You could go to the games and go shopping or sightseeing afterwards.”
“It was a totally different atmosphere.”
Although Elu has changed careers this year, he was still invited to join Tuvalu’s Olympic Family in Paris. The Tuvalu Olympic Committee wanted Elu there as an Official, recognising his contributions towards organising Tuvalu’s participation in the Paris Olympics.
As an Olympic Official, Elu’s accommodation was in the Olympic Village. He says the Olympic Village’s vibrant atmosphere was a stark contrast to the quiet luxury of his five-star Tokyo hotel.
“In Tokyo, I was like a VIP in the hotel,” he laughs.
“In Paris, I stayed in the Olympic Village with the team. We even dined with all the elite athletes that you see on TV.”
Elu was also part of the opening ceremony, which he says was a highlight of his trip. He cruised the River Seine with the Tuvalu, Ukranian, Uruguay and Uzbekistan teams.
“The highlight was the opening ceremony. It was different from all the past Olympics that usually opens inside the stadium.”
With access to any event, Elu watched the swimming, volleyball and gymnastics. But his favourite event was the tennis, and he made sure to catch as many matches as possible.
“I’m a big tennis fan, so I watched tennis almost every day,” he says.
While Elu devoted most of his two and a half weeks in Paris to the Olympics, he managed to catch some of the city’s main tourist attractions in his free time.
“I went to most of the famous places, like the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées,” he says.
Determined to showcase CrestClean in front of the Eiffel Tower, Elu braved the 40-degree heat to snap a photo in his CrestClean jacket with the tower illuminated behind him. Elu says it was hotter in Paris than back home in Tuvalu.
“It was really hot, but I wanted to take my photo at the Eiffel Tower with my CrestClean uniform on. It was a bit cooler because it was nighttime and raining, so it was ok to wear my jacket,” he says.
Elu joined CrestClean in April, and his business is already thriving. He’s putting his globe-trotting aside for now to establish himself in New Zealand and his family is set to join him at the end of the year. He says he loves his new life in Blenheim.
“I never thought I would love this place so much.”
