#55 Lolo Heimuli: The Man Behind New Zealand’s Greatest Fighters

episode

Previously titled “#55 Lolo Heimuli” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 5, 2026

Unfiltered with Dave Letele 1h 17m 2 speakers 5 chapters transcribed 2 months ago

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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Dave Letele 0:00

I was really excited about this one. I just sat down with the champion maker, Lolo Heimuli. He has coached over 100 national champions and 10 world champions. This guy is absolutely amazing. When I asked him what makes a great coach, he told me he's still learning. What a humble man.

Lolo Heimuli 0:17

I'm still learning, Dave, to be honest. Yes, we have a lot of success, but to be honest, I'm still searching and looking how to be a good coach.

Dave Letele 0:27

Raised in Tonga, coming over to Wellington when he was about 14 with his family and stumbling upon a gym and meeting the great C4 Phillip Lamb.

Lolo Heimuli 0:37

$25 joining fee and $25 a month. So I pulled out my 50 bucks and I gave it to him. I walk home after that.

Dave Letele 0:46

But I never regretted it. But it's really refreshing to meet someone, speak to someone like Laurel, who's purely in it, just for them to be the best champion that they can. And not just as a fighter, but as a person

Lolo Heimuli 0:57

I didn't ask God for money. I asked him for knowledge so I could pass it on to these guys.

Dave Letele 1:05

This episode will be great for fighters, for coaches, but just for everyone in general to be a better person. Don't forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe. This episode definitely must be seen by everyone. Enjoy. This podcast is made by the amazing team at Fanaticals. They put up with me, so they're pretty epic. Before we get started, I just want to say a massive thank you to all the team at Pacific Business Trust. They're supporting over 2,500 Pacific businesses, entrepreneurs, and leaders just like me. So they have all the support that you need there. So for us, it was marketing, setting up a website, emails, all these different things that you don't know until you need to know. And they can be really challenging times.

Dave Letele 1:47

It can seem like you're at the bottom of this mountain and you just don't know where to start. And what they can do is help you to get started and they'll walk alongside you the whole way up. So if you're a budding entrepreneur or you want to start a business or you might already have a business and just need some help, go over, check them out, look up Pacific Business Trust and register. Sign up for help. Never be embarrassed to ask for help. You will not regret it. Trust me, I don't. But for now, enjoy the episode. Lolo, thank you so much for joining me, bro. Man, I'll be looking forward to this one. How's it going?

Lolo Heimuli 2:21

Oh, thank you, Dave. You know, I feel privileged because I've seen some of the celebrities that you've interviewed. So I'm glad you are so happy that you thought of me. Thank you very much.

Dave Letele 2:33

I mean, you're one of the guys that's had, I think, the biggest impact on so many fighters, including my coach, John Conway, who I was talking about on the way here. And he said that you've had the biggest impact on him, not just with his fighting and his coaching, but also with morals and the way he treats other people. So it's a real blessing, man.

Lolo Heimuli 2:59

Yeah, very nice of John to say that. Yes, the honour was mine. I was so privileged to be able to work with John and his brother Joe for many years, as well as our young guys at the gym, yes.

Dave Letele 3:15

You know what, I just wanted to ask before we start. People that were in the fight game, I always ask this question. When I came out as the brown butter bean and you first saw me, did you like me or not like me?

Lolo Heimuli 3:29

At the time, I was focused more on other guys. But before you came out, Dave, I know your family many years. So, you know... I like you because there's your connections. I've trained your Uncle Le, your Uncle Ula, Ian. I have so much time for him. Way before you came out.

Dave Letele 3:59

Yeah. What was it like coaching Uncle Le? Uncle Le was sort of on the other spectrum of Uncle Ula back in those days.

Lolo Heimuli 4:05

We all tried. Wayne tried. Your Uncle Ian tried. But Leigh chose his own time and God's time to go a different path, if you like, without judging him. I know these guys. But, yeah, whenever I don't see Leigh training, I know there's some kind of trouble. Yeah. And some of the young guys today, you know, so different. But, you know.

Dave Letele 4:37

I think you were saying one of the biggest fight, the fight nights you had back in those days with Uncle, who was Uncle Leon versus another guy that you had?