From arm wrestling on school rubbish bins to playing Tai Kaliso in Gears of War, Maateiwarangi has one of the most unusual stories in New Zealand sport.

Aotearoa arm wrestling champion since 2012, four-time and current Oceania champion, six-time Australasian champion, Arnold Classic champion in 2017 and 2019, AWE Intercontinental champion in 2023, and New Zealand’s strongest bench press at 262.5kg. Maateiwarangi has achieved plenty, but there’s a lot more to his story than what happens at the arm wrestling table.

This week, we welcome Maateiwarangi into the ShedLife Studio for a great conversation with Jason Davis about arm wrestling, strength, tā moko, family, service and what it really takes to be the best in the world at something most people only know from a pub.

This is a conversation with someone who went from arm wrestling for beers to a Gears of War audition, and who still believes the greatest life is one lived in service of others.