Bio
Eric “The Body” Fonoimoana struck Olympic Gold at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and has been a dominant and consistent force on the AVP Tour since winnoing his first event in 1994. He won at least one tournament for seven straight years between 1998 and 2004, claiming titles with five different partners in addition to winning an individual event.
2002 proved to be Eric’s year to shine – he reached the finals six times and won four titles with former partner Dax Holdren and was also named AVP’s Most Valuable Player.
In 2005, Fonoimoana reached the top 10 in terms of all-time tournaments played and surpassed the $1 million mark in career earnings in early 2008.
A true community activist, Eric has dedicated much of his winnings and time off the beach to his foundation “Dig for Kids,” which helps kids in inner cities excel in school and volleyball.
Eric grew up in Manhattan Beach, Calif., as the youngest of three brothers, Kirk, Scott and Toa, and two sisters, Debbie and Lelei. Lelei was a swimmer in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Eric attended Mira Costa High School, the same school his parents attended, where he started his volleyball career. The volleyball team there now hands out an annual Eric Fonoimoana Commitment Award. Fonoimoana continued to play at UC-Santa Barbara where he was named MVP his senior year and graduated with a degree in Sociology.
His cousins, Al and Nick Hannemann, also played on the AVP Tour. Fonoimoana currently resides in Hermosa Beach, Calif., with his wife Eliza.
(taken from AVP.com)
Q & A
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How man years have you been playing volleyball?
28 Years
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How long have you been a professional beach volleyball player?
16 years
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What have been the highlights of your career so far?
Olympic Gold, 2 Manhattan Open victories, Hermosa Beach, and the King of the Beach title.
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Who/What inspires you?
Karch Kiraly, Michael Jordan. I liked their professionalism on and off the court. They were masters in their domain. The fans inspired me the most. I did not what to disappoint them.
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If you were not a professional athlete, what would you do?
I would sell real estate. I do it now. www.goldenfonoi.com
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What songs are loaded onto your thump at the moment?
Coldplay-- Speed of Sound, Jack Johnson-- Banana Pancakes, Nina Sky-- Move Your Body
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What fires you up/mellows you out?
Smack talking and anyone on the other side of the net/mellow music
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Any other special talents?
I motivate kids to do great things. digforkids.com
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What is more important to you than volleyball?
The success of Dig 4 Kids and watching my kids grow up
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Please give your response to the following words:
a) Oakley is: Stylish and comfortable b) Alcohol is: Sometimes needed c) Pain is: Mind over matter d) Travel is: fun and rewarding e) Fitness is: Hard work f) Regret is: there but forget is better g) Fans are: the reason I love playing the game h) Family is: Forever i) Fun is: a necessity for life
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